Back in 2011, Wes Craven returned to the Scream film series with Scream 4. And while that film didn’t exactly set the box office on fire, Craven’s not done with the franchise just yet.
Bloody Disgusting is reporting that Craven will be directing the pilot of MTV’s “Scream” adaptation that has been gestating at the network for a few years. Craven previously directed the four Scream feature films, in addition to his iconic horror films A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Hills Have Eyes, The Last House on the Left, The Serpent and the Rainbow and The People Under the Stairs.
Despite Craven’s long career in film, he does have a few TV credits including episodes of the second “Twilight Zone” series, and his own creation, “Nightmare Cade.”
It’s not clear if the “Scream” TV series will maintain continuity with the films, but it will reportedly deal with the “rules of surviving a slasher film” that featured heavily in the original movies.
There will also be a completely new cast of characters in “Scream’s” TV incarnation. TVLine unveiled the following breakdown of four leading characters:
Harper Duval: A 16-year-old beauty “who’s a little too introverted and intellectual to be a social butterfly” but has nevertheless been anointed by the popular crowd to be one of their own. “She feels guilty that she has drifted away from former best friend Audrey,” but at least she’s got a Gilmore Girls-esque relationship with mom Maggie to keep her sane.
Audrey Jesen: Haper’s former BFF is described as “the bi-curious daughter of a Lutheran pastor” who’s “more arresting-looking than pretty.” This “artsy loner” dreams of being a filmmaker and shares a close bond with tech genius Noah.
Noah Foster: Audrey’s closest confidante is “creative, brilliant and tech-savvy enough to be the next Steve Jobs.” Lucky for him, he’s got a great sense of humor (“a la John Cusack in his teen prime”) that helps him navigate the halls of his high school. What’s more, Noah possesses “an encyclopedic knowledge of books, films, TV, apps, etc.”
Margaret “Maggie” Duval: Harper’s mom, in her early to mid-40s, is the town’s medical examiner, “a grown-up science geek who plays down her beauty.” Maggie spends a lot of her time trying to make up for the fact that Harper’s dad abandoned them. Oh, and she’s harboring “a dark secret from her past.”
The “Scream” pilot was written by Jill Blotevogel, who previously wrote for CBS’ slasher series, “Harper’s Island.” Production on the “Scream” pilot is expected to begin this summer.
