Moviefone Editorial

Tag: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin

  • ‘Freaky’s Christopher Landon Directing Seventh ‘Scream’ Movie

    Christopher Landon attends Netflix's 'We Have A Ghost' Premiere on February 22, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
    Christopher Landon attends Netflix’s ‘We Have A Ghost’ Premiere on February 22, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix.

    Having directed the last two ‘Scream’ movies, the fifth (just titled ‘Scream’, confusingly) and sixth, ‘Scream VI’, you might think that directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett would be a shoo-in to handle the seventh, spawned because of the success of their two efforts.

    But the duo, who work as part of the filmmaking collective known as Radio Silence, are even more in demand than they were before they jumped into the world of genre-obsessed Ghostface killers and have since parlayed that success into the chance to make an original horror movie for Universal that taps into the studio’s stock of classic characters and concepts.

    That still mysterious movie has Dan Stevens, ‘Scream’s Melissa Barrera and ‘Matilda the Musical’s Alisha Weir attached to star, but obviously cannot move forward while the actors’ and writers’ strikes continue.

    So now Spyglass, the company which produces the ‘Scream’ movies (for distribution usually through Paramount), has hired a new director for the franchise: Christopher Landon, according to Bloody Disgusting’s sources (and since confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter).

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    Who is Christopher Landon?

    Christopher Landon attends Netflix's 'We Have A Ghost' Premiere on February 22, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
    Christopher Landon attends Netflix’s ‘We Have A Ghost’ Premiere on February 22, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix.

    Landon is a respected writer/director in the horror field, having brought movies such as ‘Happy Death Day’, ‘Freaky’, and, most recently, the family-friendlier ‘We Have a Ghost’ for Netflix to screens.

    He’s also been behind several entries of the ‘Paranormal Activity’ franchise and wrote the script for 2007 thriller ‘Disturbia’ among others.

    Landon certainly has the chops to bring something fresh to the ‘Scream’ world, especially since his past work, like the Radio Silence team has shown a willingness to play with genre and explore ways to sidestep cliches.

    Where does the next ‘Scream’ movie stand?

    Director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, left, and Director Tyler Gillett on the set of Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group's 'Scream VI.'
    Director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, left, and Director Tyler Gillett on the set of Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’

    Of course, while Landon can be hired and do some directorial prep work for a new ‘Scream’, the movie itself will have to wait until the strikes are over, since unless a script has already been developed (no word is mentioned in either report as to whether James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, who wrote the last two films, had been at work on the new one). And regardless, given his usual writing and directing style, Landon may want to take his own crack at the screenplay, something he can’t do until the Writers Guild of America has a new deal in place.

    Related Article: ‘Scream VI’ Brings Ghostface to New York for More Franchise Fun

    Who will star in the new ‘Scream’ movie?

    Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter) and Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group's 'Scream VI.'
    (L to R) Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter) and Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’

    Much like with the script, casting can’t officially move forward on the new ‘Scream’ until the actors’ strike is over. But we can reasonably assume that the current set of survivors, including Barrera, Jenna Ortega and Mason Gooding, are candidates to be back.

    Of course, they’re all much more in demand themselves these days (especially Ortega, who between these movies and ‘Wednesday’, has much higher profile and will likely require a new deal to return?) so expect negotiations to kick in properly once the actors can actually return.

    ‘Scream VII’, or whatever it ends up being called, has yet to be officially announced, so there’s no word on a release date.

    Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group's 'Scream VI.'
    Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’

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  • Monica Bellucci Added to ‘Beetlejuice 2’

    Monica Bellucci in 'Mafia Mamma.'
    Monica Bellucci in ‘Mafia Mamma.’ Courtesy of Bleecker Street.

    After spending decades in development limbo (more on that below), the sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 supernatural comedy ‘Beetlejuice‘ is at last in production, with Burton back calling the shots in the UK.

    Cast-wise, Michael Keaton from the original is back as the title character alongside Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz and Catherine O’Hara as her stepmother.

    New this time? ‘Scream’s Jenna Ortega (who starred for Burton in the recent Netflix hit ‘Addams Family’ spin-off ‘Wednesday’) as Ryder’s daughter and more recently, Justin Theroux in an unknown role.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, Monica Bellucci is also joining the cast of ‘Beetlejuice 2,’ and is reportedly set as Betelgeuse’s (yes, that’s how it is spelled) wife. Otherwise, plot details are being kept in a mysterious desert otherworld roamed by sandworms.

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    Related Article: Jenna Ortega in Talks to Star in ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel With Tim Burton Directing

    The story of the Beetlejuice sequel

    1988’s ‘Beetlejuice’ saw the spirits of a deceased couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) harassed by an unbearable family (Jeffrey Jones as Charles Deetz, O’Hara as Delia Deetz and Ryder as Charles’ daughter, along with various assistants and hangers-on) that has moved into their home and hire an oddball spirit (Keaton’s Betelgeuse) to drive them out.

    But when Betelgeuse’s malicious chaos becomes too much, the ghostly couple team up with Lydia to try and stop him. Famously, he’s summoned by saying his name three times.

    Burton enjoyed making ‘Beetlejuice’ enough that in 1990 hired Jonathan Gems to write a sequel called ‘Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian’, which would have seen the Deetz’ head to the island nation to open a resort, only to build on the burial ground of an ancient Hawaiian Kahuna. The spirit comes back from the afterlife to cause trouble, and Betelgeuse’s services are once more reluctantly required.

    Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse in 1988's 'Beetlejuice.'
    Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse in 1988’s ‘Beetlejuice.’

    The idea languished in development for nearly a decade, going through different scripts and potential writers (including ‘Heathers’ Daniel Waters, who instead went to work on ‘Batman Returns’ for Burton and Kevin Smith, who turned down the idea in favor of the similarly doomed ‘Superman Lives’), before ending its limbo status in apparent failure around 1997.

    Yet after years of official silence, Warner Bros. decided to try again, hiring Seth Grahame-Smith to write a script that would set the story in contemporary times with Ryder and Burton back. But even that didn’t turn into anything, despite Mike Vukadinovich re-writing the script.

    Now, though, it’s officially back on, boasting a script from ‘Wednesday’ creators and Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.

    We’re almost surprised to see that Eva Green (who has worked twice with Burton already) didn’t snag the role, but we’re definitely interested in whatever Bellucci does with the character.

    ‘Beetlejuice 2’, or whatever it ends up titled, should be in theaters on September 6th, 2024.

    Dan Stevens in 2014's 'The Guest.'
    Dan Stevens in 2014’s ‘The Guest.’

    In other casting news, Dan Stevens is going from giant monsters (he’s part of the cast of ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’) to more mysterious ones as the actor is joining the cast of an untitled new Universal creature feature being guided by the Radio Silence team behind the last couple of ‘Scream’ movies.

    Radio Silence, in case you forget, includes directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett, plus producer Chad Villella among their number. This is something the trio has been wanting to make since their first stab at Scream, but the success of that movie led them to put it hold to focus on the sequel. Now, they’re shifting back to the monster movie.

    ‘Scream’s Melissa Barrera is on board to star, with ‘Matilda The Musical’s Alisha Weir also in the cast. The script was written by Stephen Shields, with revisions by Guy Busick.

    Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter) and Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group's 'Scream VI.'
    (L to R) Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter) and Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’

    What is the new movie about?

    And even more than the ‘Beetlejuice’ sequel, the details are being locked away in a coffin, though there has been serious speculation that it could be a version of ‘Dracula’s Daughter’, with the story revolving around a young girl kidnapped by a gang, whose supernatural parentage causes real problems for the criminals. Weir has been tipped as the daughter, with Barrera as one of the gang. Stevens’ role is truly unknown right now, but we could certainly see him as Dracula, were that to be the case.

    Again, nothing has been officially revealed, but it’ll be fun to see what the Radio Silence gang does unleashed on another venerable horror franchise. With luck, it’ll turn out to be as entertaining as ‘The Invisible Man’ or ‘Renfield’ (and Universal will be hoping for more box office success than the latter).

    As for Stevens, as mentioned above, he’s just finished reuniting with ‘The Guest’ director Adam Wingard for the latest entry in Warner Bros./Legendary’s “Monsterverse”, playing an unknown human in the movie, which sees the giant creatures facing off a new threat that has ties to the origins of all the “titan” monsters that have been stomping around in the film series so far (at least, as far as anyone outside the production knows right now).

    Most recently seen in last year’s romantic comedy ‘Spin Me Round’ and heard as one of the characters in animated adventure ‘The Sea Beast’ (clearly the man has a thing for creatures), Stevens will also crop up in horror movie ‘Cuckoo’.

    Radio Silence has certainly proven they know how to create good horror movies, and with the added paranormal/monstrous element, we’re also thinking how much fun their ‘Ready or Not’ turned out to be. This will be one to watch, but there’s no sign yet of a release date for this one.

    Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse in 1988's 'Beetlejuice.'
    Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse in 1988’s ‘Beetlejuice.’

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  • Movie Review: ‘Scream VI’

    Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group's 'Scream VI.'
    Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’

    Hacking its way into theaters on March 10th, ‘Scream VI’ represents the latest attempt to mine the sprawling serial slasher movie series.

    How far is too far with franchise sequels? It’s something that was on the mind of 2022’s confusingly titled ‘Scream’, which looked to start a new chapter of the veteran horror franchise while, as is usual with these movies, grappling with the legacy of both the established storyline and the genre itself.

    Directed by ‘Ready or Not’ duo Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, it was a savvy, sometimes scary success, though not the best entry in the franchise even given the ways it played with the concept. But its box office bonanza ($137 million worldwide from a $24 million budget) means the pair, alongside writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, are back for a second stab at Ghostface killings.

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    What’s the story of ‘Scream VI’?

    Picking up the story roughly one year since the events of last year’s ‘Scream’ “rebootquel”, which charted a new story around characters such as Jenna Ortega’s Tara Carpenter, Melissa Barrera’s Sam Carpenter and twins Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding), all of whom had links to either killers or victims from earlier movies.

    Having survived the seemingly traditional slayings in their home of Woodsboro, California, the foursome have moved to New York City, where Tara, Chad and Mindy are attending college. They’re trying to put the past behind them –– especially Tara, who just wants to have fun with booze and boys –– but Sam is still haunted by the last round of killings and her actions. She’s even in therapy working through her feelings.

    And she has extra reason to be concerned, as someone online is spreading the conspiracy theory that Sam actually framed the real killers, one that is taking root among the city’s citizens (witness an early encounter where someone throws a drink in her face and calls her a murderer).

    You can imagine their shared horror, then, when the legacy of Ghostface appears to follow them to the big city, first via a pair of fellow college students and then in ways they truly did not predict. Fandom for the ‘Stab’ movies plays a big part in the new movie, as does legacy.

    Which means that our heroes once more afraid for their lives again, Mindy outlining the rules of continuing franchises in true ‘Scream’ fashion and starting to suspect that the people around them could all be suspects…

    Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter) and Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group's 'Scream VI.'
    (L to R) Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter) and Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’

    Related Article: ‘Scream 6’ Adds Samara Weaving and Tony Revolori

    What works about ‘Scream VI’?

    The cast for this one remain game and relatable, with Ortega and Barrera carrying the emotional load while Brown and Gooding bring the lore and the laughs. Courteney Cox, of course, still knows exactly how to sell Gale’s blend of cynicism and moxie (and her presence offers a little extra tension this time around given that the main characters are annoyed that she’s spun the tragedy of the previous movie into another cash grab book).

    Hayden Panettiere returns from ‘Scream 4’ as Kirby Reed, and the team finds an interesting new avenue for her that feels distinct from some other legacy characters. And when the big revelations start to drop, they mostly feel organic.

    The location shift from Woodsboro –– which is something that has only happened in a couple of other ‘Scream’ entries –– makes for some impressive new set pieces, including one set at a Bodega (where the owner of course has a shotgun stashed behind the counter) that puts the audience in mind of the raptor/kitchen scene in ‘Jurassic Park,’ a tense chase in an apartment building that features a high drop and a ladder and the main cast crammed into a crowded subway train that is full of people in costumes, including more than one Ghostface.

    It also offers a new tone and feeling to the show, the dark streets and towering buildings of the city a fertile hunting ground for whoever is in the masked costume.

    Hayden Panettiere (Kirby Reed) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group's 'Scream VI.'
    Hayden Panettiere (Kirby Reed) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’

    Are there problems with ‘Scream VI’?

    One huge issue with any modern ‘Scream’ is the burden and bulk of the franchise. There have been six films now and so many different variations of killer (usually killers) that it’s hard to find something fresh for a new iteration. ‘Scream VI’ stretches this a little too thin in a few places, wanting to be so clever with the idea of the films’ legacy that it rolls around into a few dumb, unoriginal concepts.

    Some of the new characters, by dint of where they end up, feel less developed, and while the opening scene (featuring someone from ‘Ready or Not’) looks to play on the idea of movie-series-within-the-movie ‘Stab’ as something that people study a little too closely, but is mostly played for cheap scares.

    Neve Campbell
    Neve Campbell (“Sidney Prescott”) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream.”

    Do you miss Neve Campbell’s Sidney in ‘Scream VI’?

    The big issue, and indeed test for the new movie is the absence of Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, who bowed out of appearing in this one because the studio offered her an embarrassingly low payday.

    While franchises do survive without core cast members, Sidney’s absence is certainly felt, since she has been the heart of ‘Scream’ since the 1996 original. Yet her removal is not such a wound that the film collapses –– Courteney Cox is still around of course, and while Gale brings a different energy to the movie than Sidney, her link to the past is still welcome.

    It’s also an opportunity to open the story up to other legacy characters such as Panettiere’s Reed, who has her own trauma to work through and is used in interesting fashion here.

    Overall, ‘Scream VI’ tries a little too hard to squeeze in everything about the franchise, and the seams perhaps show a little more than in the directors’ previous outing. It’s still fun and energetic, though, and should please fans who have stuck with the movies this far.

    ‘Scream VI’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.

    Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group's 'Scream VI.'
    Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’

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    ‘Scream VI’ is produced by Paramount, Radio Silence, Project X Entertainment, and Spyglass Media Group. It is set to release in theaters on March 10, 2023.

  • Neve Campbell Won’t be Back for Next ‘Scream’ Movie

    Neve Campbell
    Neve Campbell (“Sidney Prescott”) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream.”

    In the months since the most recent entry in the Ghostface franchise – simply titled ‘Scream’, despite being the fifth movie – we’ve had a flurry of stories that represent good news for fans.

    In February, a month after the latest movie opened, we learned that the next one is already in the works, with directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, part of the filmmaking collective known as Radio Silence, returning behind the camera along with writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick.

    That was followed by word that ‘Scream 4’s Hayden Panettiere would be back as her character, Kirby Reed. And just this month, Dermot Mulroney was recruited to join the movie, set to play a cop (which doesn’t point to the healthiest life expectancy for his character).

    But then came the bad news: Neve Campbell, one of the veterans of the franchise, the woman who has brought stalker slasher survivor Sidney Prescott to life in every one of the movies so far, would not be returning for this new one.

    And, as it turns out, it’s because she’s taking a stand over a lowball pay offer. “Sadly, I won’t be making the next ‘Scream’ film,” Campbell says in a statement. “As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to ‘Scream’. I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise.”

    Neve Campbell
    Neve Campbell (“Sidney Prescott”) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream.”

    Campbell has a point – this is a run of movies that has so far made around $774 million in the last two decades plus, and fans do keep coming back to see how Sidney fares.

    She goes on to add: “It’s been a very difficult decision to move on. To all my ‘’Scream fans, I love you. You’ve always been so incredibly supportive to me. I’m forever grateful to you and to what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years.”

    The movie has yet to start shooting, so there remains hope that Paramount could dig into its pockets (recently lined with lots of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ money) and put forth a better offer.

    Fellow ‘Scream’ stalwart Courtney Cox will be back for the new movie as Gale Weathers, and the cast is led by the survivors of this year’s ‘Scream’ – Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter), Jasmin Savoy Brown (Mindy Meeks-Martin), Mason Gooding (Chad Meeks-Martin) and Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter), whose characters are moving out of Woodsboro to try and start the next chapter of their lives.

    Little else is known about the plot so far, save that Ghostface will naturally be back to terrorize everyone and there’ll be plenty of references to horror movies. Ortega has described the script as getting “more and more gory” as it goes along, and that the masked menace will be “the most aggressive and violent version” yet.

    ‘Scream 6’ is due in theaters on March 31, 2023.

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  • ‘Scream’ Sequel in the Works

    'Scream' 2022 Poster Courtesy of Paramount
    ‘Scream’ 2022 Poster Courtesy of Paramount

    Do you like scary movies? Paramount is hoping you do.

    With this year’s ‘Scream’ legacy sequel scoring big business at the box office already, the studio is ready to take yet another stab at the long-running horror franchise.

    The company, alongside production company Spyglass, have the same team responsible for that movie returning to create more terror for the residents of the not-always-sleepy town of Woodsboro.

    Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, part of the filmmaking collective known as Radio Silence, will direct again, with the script courtesy of returning writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick.

    The latest ‘Scream’ – which was simply known by that name, rather than ‘Scream 5’, successfully relaunched the franchise when it opened in January. To date, it has earned more than $62.6 million domestically and $106.7 million worldwide. It brought audiences back to Woodsboro, where a new killer wearing a Ghostface mask stalked a group of young friends.

    Among the new faces introduced were Melissa Barrera’s Sam, Jack Quaid’s Richie, Mikey Madison’s Amber, Jenna Ortega’s Tara, Dylan Minnette’s Wes, Jasmin Savoy Brown’s Mindy, and Mason Gooding’s Chad, many of whom had links to characters from the original movies.

    There were also appearances from franchise veterans Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Neve Campbell.

    (L to R) David Arquette and Courteney Cox in Paramount Pictures "Scream."
    (L to R) David Arquette and Courteney Cox in Paramount Pictures “Scream.”

    Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett should have the cameras rolling this summer, with the plot being kept secret. Though surely, we know the formula by now: some references to other horror movies, a scary phone call or two and lots of running, screaming, slashing, and slaying. And as for who will be back? We won’t spoil those who don’t survive this year’s movie.

    The ‘Scream’ franchise, of course, started life in 1996 with Wes Craven’s original movie, written by Kevin Williamson. It deconstructed the genre with characters mentioning rules for surviving horror movies and still layered on plenty of terror for the teenagers who are targeted by the masked killer.

    Craven went on to make three more movies, each more referential than the last, and tackling different themes such as the pressure to make a sequel and movie adaptations of horror tales.

    “We are tremendously grateful to the fans around the world who enthusiastically received our film. We can’t wait for audiences to see what Radio Silence, writers Jamie & Guy and Project X have in store for our Woodsboro family,” Spyglass and Paramount said in a joint statement.

    “Working with such a wonderful and talented family of creators — and in the lineage Wes and Kevin so expertly built — has been the thrill of a lifetime, and we’re so excited to bring the next chapter in the ‘Scream’ saga to life,” Radio Silence added.

    “Is this real life? Getting to collaborate once again with our friends on the next installment of the ‘Scream’ story is more than we could have hoped for,” commented writers Vanderbilt and Busick. “We are overwhelmed that we get to continue to play in the sandbox that Kevin and Wes created. It is, as Ghostface would say, an honor.”

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