We got word not long ago that Scream 5 is happening. Will that take the form of Scream 5? Or will it be more of a reboot? Whatever the case, if there is an opportunity for Officer Dewey to return, David Arquette wants in. More than that, the actor has some ideas of where things could go, should he and some of his other former castmates get the chance to return for one more round against Ghostface.
I recently had the chance to speak with David Arquette about his new movie Mob Town. During our conversation, I asked if he had heard anything since it was announced that Spyglass Media had acquired the rights to the franchise. They are currently developing a new Scream movie, but little else has been revealed. Arquette made it clear that he doesn’t know anything beyond that, but he’s ready and willing to take the call. Here’s what he had to say.
“My phone has not rang and I know nothing. I honestly don’t. And I’m not just saying that. So I know just like you that they’re working on a script, apparently. I don’t know if our characters are going to be involved. It’d be nice. It would be exciting to be a part of it. It’ll be sad that Wes [Craven] isn’t there but I would love to see his legacy continue and the great projects and films that he was a part of an afterlife, and continue what he started. I would love to see more Nightmare on Elm Streets. I’d love to see more Screams. I just think he’s such an incredibly talented and amazing person. I’m so honored that I had gotten to work with him, just in general. So, whatever they decide to do, it’s what they’ll decide. You can’t bet on stuff like that. You just have to keep doing what you’re doing.”
I then asked Mr. Arquette where he sees Dewey at this point in his life. Arquette not only shared his thoughts on that matter, but he also revealed some of the abandoned ideas for Scream 4. Some of those ideas included Dewey and Gale Weathers, played by his real-life ex-wife Courtney Cox, having a baby together.
“I don’t know. I guess maybe he’d be almost ready for retirement. I don’t know if he would still be together with Gale. There was a lot of interesting stuff that we were pitching to Wes [Craven] for Scream 4 that didn’t really happen. Even, in one of the earlier drafts, [Dewey and Gale] had a kid, which was interesting. Because, obviously me and my ex Courtney [Cox] actually had a kid and we met on the Scream films. So it was kind of a fun parallel. I don’t know if they would still be together, or if they wouldn’t. I always liked the dynamic of them, sort of the cat and mouse, Sam and Diane aspect of their relationship was always fun for me. Whatever it is, I’d love to see it have some stakes to it, where it’s palpable. Just play with the love element. I think that was fun about the first one especially. You could see the spark in their eyes and a budding relationship. To go back to that would be fun.”
As things stand, there are few official details on Scream 5. Other cast members, such as Neve Campbell, who plays Sidney Prescott, haven’t ruled out a return. Given the success 2018’s Halloween enjoyed at the box office, one would assume it would make more sense to go with a Ghostface legacy sequel of sorts, as opposed to a reboot.
Scream, written and directed by Wes Craven, was released in 1996 and helped revive the slasher genre. The four movies grossed a combined $603 million at the box office, making it one of the most successful horror franchises in history. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as further details on the new movie are made available. In the meantime, you can see David Arquette in Mob Town, which arrives from Saban Films on December 13.
