How to Get Cast in a ‘Scream’ Movie

The original “Scream” is a slasher film that stars Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Drew Barrymore, and Jamie Kennedy. The story follows Sidney Prescott (Campbell), who, on the anniversary of her mother’s murder, finds herself in trouble when a mysterious killer, Ghostface, begins taking out the citizens of Woodsboro, California. Sidney comes face-to-face with the killer when he invades her home, leading her and the police to suspect her boyfriend, Billy Loomis (Ulrich), who coincidentally shows up right after Ghostface disappears. With the help of Officer Dewey Riley (Arquette) and tabloid TV journalist Gale Weathers (Cox)—an unlikely ally after Gale wrote the book that exposed Sidney’s mother’s affair with her alleged killer—Sidney soon learns who’s behind the string of murders.

Despite the first film ending in closure, the horrors of Ghostface continue in the later films. The legacy follows Sidney to college and beyond, with copycats terrorizing her and her loved ones at every turn.

When the franchise was revived in 2022, the storyline followed a new generation of high schoolers. In “Scream” (2022) and “Scream VI” (2023), Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera play Tara and Sam Carpenter, respectively—sisters who are eerily linked to the original Woodsboro killings. 

The “Scream” franchise currently includes six movies, with the next installment on the horizon for 2026—the 30th anniversary of the first film’s debut:

• “Scream” (1996)
• “Scream 2” (1997)
• “Scream 3” (2000)
• “Scream 4” (2011)
• “Scream” (2022)
• “Scream VI” (2023)
• “Scream 7” (2026)

The franchise was created by Williamson, and horror genre icon Wes Craven directed the first four films. However, Craven passed away in 2015. In the early 2020s, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (“Abigail,” “Ready or Not”) took over as directors for the fifth and sixth films starring Oretga and Barrera; Guy Busick (“Ready or Not”) and James Vanderbilt (“Zodiac”) wrote the scripts.

As for “Scream 7,” “Happy Death Day” director Christopher Landon was initially tapped to helm the film, but in Dec. 2023, he announced his exit following the news of Barrera’s firing and Ortega’s “Wednesday” Season 2 scheduling conflict. While the news disappointed fans, a few months later Campbell revealed that not only would she be joining the project, but that Williamson would also be returning. She shared the news on her Instagram page, writing, “This was [Williamson’s] baby and it’s his brilliant mind that dreamt up this world. Kevin is not just an inspiration as an artist but has been a dear friend for many years. To the amazing ‘Scream’ fans, I hope you are as excited as I am. See you on set @kevwilliamson.” This will be the first time Williamson has directed a “Scream” movie and it’s his second production overall after 1999’s “Teaching Mrs. Tingle.”

Though Campbell, Cox, and Arquette became the original faces of the franchise, beginning with its first installment, the series has welcomed many famous names over the years, including Liev Schreiber, Scott Foley, Laurie Metcalfe, Hayden Panettiere, Parker Posey, and Dermot Mulroney. Then, with 2022’s reboot, Barrera and Ortega became the main focus; but now, with both actors having exited the franchise, Campbell’s return to the spotlight is a sweet surprise for OG fans.

Dimension Films produced the first four films until Spyglass Media Group took over the rights in 2022, with Paramount Pictures now distributing the franchise.

Lisa Beach (“Girl, Interrupted”) cast the original “Scream” trilogy. For “Scream 4,” the production team partnered with CDs Avy Kaufman (“Brokeback Mountain”), Nancy Nayor (“Barbarian”), and Rick Rosenthal (“Halloween II”). Rich Delia (“Dallas Buyers Club”) cast the fifth and sixth installments.

If you find yourself in Delia’s audition room, expect to meet someone who welcomes you and your questions. “I try to make it positive, and I love getting questions. We try to space it out so an actor has enough time to work through their process and they’re not coming into a cattle call situation. I try to give actors their moment in the waiting room to prep without being surrounded by 10,000 people,” Delia told us. “I very rarely direct anything before the first take because I like to see what they bring to the table. Sometimes actors I really respond to make strong, unique choices. I want to see their instincts before I give any direction to them. I try to adjust my job to whatever their process is, because I think rather than imposing my will on them, I [should] let them be and see what comes up.”

As Beach told the Ringer, finding the right actor to portray Sidney Prescott was quite the process, but Campbell ultimately “had that perfect combination of strength and vulnerability.” She said, “We basically auditioned every girl in town, whether she was known or unknown. As far as the final three, it was Alicia Witt, Brittany Murphy, and Neve. There was just that certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ that Neve had.”

Meanwhile, Arquette was initially asked to audition for a part that didn’t really fit him. “They wanted me to audition for one of the teenagers in the high school,” Arquette told the outlet. “I felt I was a little older, and I also loved the role of Dewey when I read it and the idea of acting opposite Courteney. I was a huge fan of hers. I met with Wes and I was like, ‘I really like this role.’ And he was like, ‘Wow, I didn’t even consider that’—because he was written as more of, like, the dumb jock character. I read it as a character that’s in a position of authority getting no respect.”

However, Kennedy and Lillard—who played Stu Macher and Randy Meeks, respectively, in 1996’s “Scream”—were caught off-guard when they were asked to read for Craven. “I read for the casting director and she was like, ‘That was really good,’ ” Kennedy said. “You hear that and you’re not sure. It’s like they’re being sweet to you, whatever. And she’s like, ‘Can you come back on Thursday and meet Wes Craven?’ And I’m like, ‘I think my schedule’s open.’ ”

Lillard said, “I went to audition for Billy Loomis and the casting director said to me, ‘Would you mind coming and reading for Stu in three hours? Wes Craven’s going to be here.’ And so I went off and memorized all the words and came back and auditioned for Wes for the character of Stu. And he actually gave it to me in the room. That’d never really happened before.”

Barrera didn’t join the franchise until decades later, but she recalls 2022’s “Scream” as the first role she was ever offered without an audition. While she was slated to audition for the role of Sam Carpenter, Barrera asked if she could Zoom with the directors, writer, and producers to get a feel for the character and Sam’s story so she could ace her audition. However, Barrera’s chat with the team went so well that they offered her the role without ever seeing her in action. 

“I hung up; I started preparing for my audition,” she told Collider. “The next day I get a call from my team and they’re like, ‘So we got a call from Project X and from Radio Silence and apparently your Zoom went really well.’ And I was like, ‘OK, cool, because I really liked them.’ They’re like, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah. They offered you the part.’ And I was like, ‘What?’ They were like, ‘Yeah! They just offered you the part. You don’t have to audition anymore.’ That was the first time that ever happened in my life.”

Filming for “Scream 7” is slated to begin in December, which means the opportunity to join the upcoming project won’t be open for much longer. That’s why we recommend securing an agent if you haven’t done so yet, as these industry insiders are privy to casting calls that aren’t released to the public. And considering the secretive nature of the “Scream” franchise, it’s highly likely that said auditions will be kept under wraps. 

If you’re intrigued by all the genre has to offer, check out this roundup of horror gigs that are casting right now, and be sure to bookmark our main casting page for the latest listings.

Do you like scary movies? Beyond our guide on how to act in a horror film, here’s some top-notch advice on how to land the role of your dreamsnightmares.

Rejection doesn’t have to be scary. Arquette and Cox’s daughter, Coco Arquette, wants to follow in her parents’ footsteps. Knowing what the industry is like, Arquette’s words of wisdom for his daughter are equally as pertinent for anyone who has the same hopes and dreams. “Don’t take rejection personally. It’s a business that is mostly rejection. If she doesn’t get a part in the school play she was hoping for, I just walk her through it: ‘There will be other stuff to try.’ I try to set the expectation that things like that happen,” Arquette told Us Weekly. 

During a separate chat with “The Talk,” he said, “It’s all about self-confidence. It’s all about not beating yourself up, recognizing that voice that really does [bring self-doubt], and just [saying], ‘I don’t need that right now; you’re not telling me the truth.’ And just believing in yourself—it’s really important.”

Trust the present moment. In the earliest stage of her career, Barrera felt the need to internalize her characters’ persona. But when doing so began to take a toll on her mental health, she learned how to trust the moment while being present and prepared. “I love listening to Olivia Colman talk, because I think she’s so incredible; she’s so present and so relaxed in front of the camera. I think the more relaxed you are, the more truthful you can be and the easier [it is to] access your emotions,” Barrera told us. “She is always so relaxed on camera, and you ask her, ‘What did you do to prepare for this?’ And she’s like, ‘I learned my lines.’ Now, that doesn’t mean that’s the best process for everyone. She’s obviously very gifted. But it just goes to show that not everyone needs to do the most to get a good performance.”

Age can enhance your ambition. Cox has been growing her career since the ’80s, so it’s no surprise that the seasoned actor has found a new sense of freedom in recent years, inspiring others to see age as an advantage, not an impediment. “As I’m getting older, I do take more chances. I just go for things more. I’m more ambitious,” Cox shared with Marie Claire. “I think there was a time [when] I was on ‘Friends’ where I didn’t have enough confidence to go after things that I could’ve or should’ve. Maybe I was more being an imposter back then. But now, I don’t feel like I am, because I take more chances and I do more research and I try harder. Now I realize, in order to feel great about myself, you have to put the work in.” 

She continued, “There’s nothing where I don’t give 100%, whereas before I might have skated by…. I guess my [definition of] ambition is realizing that you can. As I get older, I realize, why not? Do all of it, and try really hard.”