 Jenny McCarthy joins the Scream 3 cast as Sarah Darling |
Back in 1996, the original SCREAM was a word-of-mouth hit that
became one of the summer's biggest blockbusters. Grossing over
$170 million worldwide, the film was followed a year later by
its equally successful sequel, SCREAM 2.
Original screenwriter Kevin Williamson, who went on to create TV's "Dawson's Creek," and script another moneymaker, "I Know What You Did Last Summer," says that SCREAM 3 was part of the plan, and not just an attempt to cash in on the success of the first film. As he puts it, "I always envisioned it as the 'Star Wars' trilogy of the horror genre." SCREAM 3 brings Wes Craven's outrageously successful suspense trilogy to a fever-pitched climax. The first two SCREAMs not only reinvented a genre, but also introduced a new generation to the thrills of suspense -- with a healthy dose of cutting-edge humor. Bigger and more complex than its predecessors, SCREAM's final chapter brings it all home by adhering to one simple principle: when it comes to a trilogy, ALL bets are off! "This piece is a real mind twister," said Director Wes Craven. "It takes the audience deep into the reality behind the reality behind the reality. Nothing is as it seems. "From the onset, this project was conceived as a trilogy," Craven continued. "A third movie was already sketched when we started the first. What we reveal about the back-story of the first SCREAM will close the whole loop and answer all unsolved questions. SCREAM 3 is definitely not a Readers Digest condensation of its predecessors." The trilogy's third chapter reunites Craven with David Arquette, who has starred in several independent and mainstream films since he did the first SCREAM, including "Dream With the Fishes," "The Alarmist" and "Never Been Kissed," Neve Campbell, who has appeared in "Wild Things" and the upcoming "Drowning Mona," Courteney Cox Arquette, who recently completed the romantic comedy "The Shrink Is In," opposite her husband David, and independent and studio film favorite Liev Schreiber, who will next be seen in Miramax Films' "Hamlet," opposite Ethan Hawke. In addition to the SCREAM veterans, Craven's cast includes Patrick Dempsey, Scott Foley, who currently portrays Noel Crane on the hit television drama "Felicity," rising young actor Matt Keeslar, former "MTV Singled Out" host Jenny McCarthy, English actress Emily Mortimer, whose recent films include "Elizabeth" and "Notting Hill," indie film queen Parker Posey, Deon Richmond, Heather Matarazzo, who took the independent film by storm with her portrayal of Dawn in "Welcome to the Dollhouse" and "Seinfeld" regular Patrick Warburton. SCREAM 3 takes place in Hollywood during production of "Stab 3: Return to Woodsboro," a thriller which raises troubling questions about the events that terrified the town of Woodsboro -and continue to haunt Sidney Prescott (Campbell). Three-and-a-half years after leaving Windsor College, Sidney has settled into a life of quiet seclusion in Northern California. But that uneasy peace is shattered when terror erupts on the set of "Stab 3." Hotshot TV personality Gale Weathers (Cox Arquette) rushes to the crime scene at the invitation of the LAPD as the ultimate expert on Woodsboro. Naturally, Gale is more than ready to jump on the "Stab 3" story. But she's not prepared to find old flame Dewey Riley (Arquette), now a technical advisor on "Stab 3," in a cozy relationship with actress Jennifer Jolie (Posey). Method-actress Jennifer, who has played Gale in all three "Stab" movies, believes "her" Gale knows best when the going gets rough on-set. Dewey and Sidney also find themselves dealing with actor versions of themselves. Hollywood pretty-boy Tom Prinze (Keelsar) has been cast as Deputy Dewey, while Angelina Tyler (Mortimer), a wide-eyed ingenue plucked from thousands of hopefuls at an open call, plays Sidney. At the helm of "Stab 3" is Roman Bridger (Foley), a music video director making the leap to feature films. His cast also includes Sarah Darling (McCarthy), a world-weary starlet who has had it with bimbo roles, and Tyson Fox (Richmond), who strives for dignity in his portrayal of a video store geek. Veteran producer John Milton (Henriksen) is the mastermind behind the entire "Stab" franchise. LAPD Detective Mark Kincaid (Dempsey) heads the "Stab 3" investigation. Jittery Jennifer Jolie hires her own protection, celebrity security expert Steve Stone (Warburton). Cotton Weary (Schreiber), the former prison inmate once accused of murder, has found fame and fortune in Hollywood with the talk show "100% Cotton." Among his many fans is his live-in girlfriend Christine (Kelly Rutherford). Cathy Konrad and Marianne Maddalena, the producers of SCREAM and SCREAM 2, produced SCREAM 3. Kevin Williamson, who launched the trilogy with the first SCREAM script and then wrote its witty sequel, is also a producer of SCREAM 3. Ehren Kruger ("Arlington Road", "Reindeer Games") wrote the SCREAM 3 screenplay. Behind-the-scenes, Craven, Konrad and Maddalena have again assembled a top-flight group of collaborators, including Executive Producer Stuart Besser, Director of Photography Peter Deming, Production Designer Bruce Alan Miller, Costume Designer Abigail Murray, Editor Patrick Lussier, Composer Marco Beltrami and Music Supervisor Ed Gerrard. Dan Arredondo, Dixie J. Capp and Julie Plec are the film's co-producers.
Producer Cathy Konrad clearly remembers every step of the SCREAM ride, and its many accompanying challenges. "The project was always planned as a trilogy so it was very important to keep the thrills fresh. There was only a year between the first and second films, and two years between the second and third." In casting SCREAM 3, the film-makers had to find actors who could capture the essence of the characters created by David Arquette, Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox Arquette in the earlier films. "Parker Posey found Courteney's wit and energy," said Konrad. "Matt Keeslar had David's sexiness and added a languid movie-star quality. Emily Mortimer focused on the core of honesty that is Neve. We really lucked out." Cox Arquette was amazed by Posey's interpretation of Gale. "Parker is a wonderful actress and I'm honored for her to portray me. She is so much like me it's scary. I watch her and think I'm really good, but then realize, it"s not me, it's her. I actually believe we have started to look alike!" Posey had a good time, too. "Playing with my image has been really fun." Campbell, who stars as the no-nonsense heroine in all three films, enjoyed the movie-within-the-movie concept and the opportunities it provided for humor and irony. "These movies are a lot of fun because they don't take themselves too seriously. They poke fun at the genre, the actors and sometimes, even the audience." Still, SCREAM's principal characters have endured ordeals that would destroy lesser beings. "Sidney has a lot of gumption," mused Campbell. "Over the years, she has developed into a very strong young woman. Most importantly, she has made the decision not to be a victim." Craven echoed Campbell's sentiments. "This film basically continues the development of Sidney Prescott and the people around her as they face their ultimate threats," the director explained. "Sidney makes her final transition into adulthood and completes her determination of what is real and what is not. She is an independent young woman dealing with the trauma of her past and putting it to rest." Craven offers a thoughtful perspective on the potential impact and importance of genre films. "The SCREAM movies confirm my belief that thrillers are great character pieces. They get in deep under the skin of human psychology. Kids today have very real and generation-specific fears and they need a way to process these terrors in a positive and funny manner. The SCREAM movies accomplish this with scenarios of intense anxiety that are resolved both with reality and playfulness. "The explosion of tension can be both scary and hilarious," he continued, "and unify people in a theater." Producer Marianne Maddalena has worked with Craven since 1987. "Wes is an extremely complex guy," she explained. "He's a true intellectual who has a unique take on life that often translates into knowing what scares the human soul. He's really good at it." SCREAM 3 began principal photography on July 6,1999 in the North Hollywood Police Station and wrapped 59 days later at the CBS Studio Center in Studio City. CBS soundstages provided interiors and exteriors for the fictitious Sunrise Studios of "Stab 3." Sidney Prescott's Woodsboro home in the original SCREAM was duplicated there in precise detail as a "Stab 3" movie set. The company filmed nights in many corners of the city. The Paramour Estate in the Silver Lake hills was home to "Stab 3" producer John Milton. Built in 1923 and listed as an official Los Angeles haunted house, the rambling mansion provided backdrops for some of the film's scariest moments. Production Designer Bruce Miller studied old photographs of the estate, which once belonged to a silent film star, in order to create the authentically decadent look of the home. It was a bit surreal for Posey. "I was upstairs in the attic at three in the morning running down a spiral staircase in a real haunted house. Where else but in a Wes Craven movie would this happen to me?" Like its predecessors, SCREAM 3 was filmed under a heavy blanket of security. "There has always been a degree of secrecy on my films," said Craven. "But we really had to tighten it up after as-yet unfilmed portions of the SCREAM 2 script appeared on the Internet in the spring of 1997." Patrick Dempsey was surprised by the hush-hush atmosphere. "I wouldn't know what was going to happen until I showed up at work and got the script pages for that day. But it's a very scary movie, and full of surprises. Even I won't know who the killer is (or killers are?) until I see the movie!" David Arquette's brother Richmond Arquette appears as a student in a college journalism class where Gale Weathers gives a speech. "Star Wars" star Carrie Fisher makes a brief appearance as a studio assistant who helps Gale Weathers and Jennifer Jolie find Maureen Prescott's history file. Lawrence Hecht, who played Sidney Prescott's father, Neil, in the first SCREAM, returns to reprise his role. Jamie Kennedy, who played the well-loved character Randy Meeks in the pervious SCREAM films, makes a small appearance by way a video he taped for Sidney. "Access Hollywood" reporter Nancy O'Dell, who interviewed Tori Spelling in SCREAM 2, returns in a cameo appearance. Director Kevin Smith and actor Jason Mewes, popularly known as 'Silent Bob' and 'Jay,' also appear in cameos. "Carrie" actress Priscilla Pointer, who portrayed Maureen Prescott in SCREAM, is again featured in a cameo. Josh Pais, who played 'Dennis' in Wes Craven's "Music of the Heart," costars as Detective Kincaid's partner Wallace.
$40 million Miramax Film Corporation $37.4 million (US) - 3,467 screens David Arquette and Courteney Cox Arquette met while making the first SCREAM and were married before production on SCREAM 3 began. Matt Keeslar, who plays Tom Prinze, Dewey's "Stab 3" version, auditioned for the part of Billy Loomis in SCREAM, but lost the part to Skeet Ulrich. Drew Barrymore's "Never Been Kissed" co-star, Michael Vartan, turned down a role in SCREAM 3 because he wanted to take his career in a more serious direction. Chloe Sevigny, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Award at the 2000 Academy Awards for her performance in "Boys Don't Cry," auditioned for a role in SCREAM. Check out the reviews on SCREAM 3! And click here to see the pictures from the premiere of SCREAM 3!
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A Scream Tribute ©2000 |