List of Scream (film series) cast members

Scream is an American horror slasher film series created in 1996 by Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven. Each of the films features a large ensemble of actors and actresses. The leading role of the series is Sidney Prescott, portrayed by Canadian actress Neve Campbell, who is accompanied by ambitious news reporter Gale Weathers, played by Courteney Cox, and the police officer Dewey Riley, played by David Arquette, who appear in all five Scream films. Other major recurring characters include film-geek Randy Meeks, played by Jamie Kennedy, and Cotton Weary, played by Liev Schreiber, in the first three films. The series consists of five films: Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), Scream 3 (2000), Scream 4 (2011), and the upcoming Scream (2022). The first four films were directed by Wes Craven and scored by Marco Beltrami. Kevin Williamson wrote Scream, Scream 2 and Scream 4, but scheduling commitments meant he could provide only notes for Scream 3, with writing duties instead helmed by Ehren Kruger.

From left to right; Courteney Cox, Neve Campbell and David Arquette, the three principal cast members in the Scream films, in a promotional image for Scream 4.

The Weinstein Company stated that the success of Scream 4 could lead to potential sequels and a new Scream trilogy,[1] with Arquette,[2] Craven[1] and Williamson[3] all having been contracted or expressed interest in appearing in future installments. However, it was eventually announced the franchise would continue through Scream: The TV Series, a television production that debuted on MTV in 2015.[4][5] In 2019, Spyglass Media Group acquired the rights to the series.[6] Scream (2022) was announced in 2019, with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett signed on to direct.[7] Campbell, Cox, and Arquette all signed on to return for the film.[8]

The series is notable in the horror genre for casting established and popular actors which, before Scream (1996), was uncommon and difficult, the genre not taken seriously by mainstream actors. In particular, its cast of famous female actresses such as Drew Barrymore and Courteney Cox in prominent, strong roles was considered to give the genre credibility and allow future Scream and other horror films to attract big name actors with greater ease.[9][10]