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Over a decade later, a new Scream movie is about to hit theaters. But it’s not so much a sequel as it is a reboot, as actresses Hayden Panettiere and Emma Roberts repeatedly stressed in separate interviews.
Emma Roberts plays Sidney Prescott’s (Neve Campbell) cousin Jill Roberts in the newest installment of Scream, the iconic horror suspense with a comedic twist from director Wes Craven. Hayden Panettiere of “Heroes” fame plays Jill’s best friend, Kirby Reed.
CU Independent: How long did it take you to perfect your scream for this movie?
Panettiere: I think it’s cumulative. I learned when I was very young to scream at the top of my lungs. Then being on Heroes for four years, I definitely got a head start on that blood-curdling scream.
CUI: How big of a horror fan are you? How was it acting in a horror film?
Panettiere: I’m a big horror movie fan. I used to love to scare myself half to death when I was younger, as long as I had my parent’s bed to run to. But when I started living by myself I had to pretty much ban all horror movies from my house. I couldn’t even watch a preview for a horror movie because my imagination would just get the best of me. The great thing about this is that it’s not just a horror film, it’s a real rollercoaster, and it’s a big game of clue. So I have a love-hate relationship with horror movies.
CUI: What drew you to this role?
Roberts: I’m terrified of horror films but I am a really big fan. I thought this would be something different and fun to do, and I’m a big fan of Wes Craven. It was one of those things where I never thought was a possibility, so when this came up I was really intrigued by it because it’s been so long since the last one, but yet this seems like the perfect time for a new one to come out.
CUI: What was it like working with director Wes Craven?
Panettiere: Wes is amazing. You always expect a guy like that to be creepy. It’s like if you met Stephen King, you would expect him to be creepy. There has to be some reason their love in life is to terrify people. But Wes is amazing; he’s such a sweet, sweet man and there’s nothing creepy about him. He’s funny too; he comes out with so many one-liners that catch you off guard. When you’re on set, you see how much he loves what he does. And that’s just such a great vibe for the set, crew and cast. He’s a gem.
CUI: Being part of the younger generation coming into the Scream franchise, how did the veterans help you adapt?
Roberts: They were really cool! A lot of times I’ve worked on projects where there is a younger cast and an older cast and it’s usually very divided. With Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette, on set they acted like we had known each other forever. They’d invite us over to their house all the time and David and Courtney would invite us over for dinner and David would cook for us. They didn’t treat us like we were kids, which was really refreshing and nice. We all had a really fun time. It was like summer camp.
CUI: Scre4m is made up of a new generation of young actresses. What do you and your costars bring to the film that’s different from the late 90’s version of Scream?
Panettiere: The rules have changed. The audience has evolved and has gotten harder and harder to scare, so the rules and what are cliché must evolve and adapt as well. It’s a group of young people who are much more modern to our audience today. It’s a reboot of the past and the characters. A big part of it was getting that comedy that people love so much in Scream since it’s not just a scary movie, but has those moments of comic relief. It’s a very specific kind of comedy, and it’s important to keep that tone, because this isn’t just a regular horror movie.
Scre4m opens in theaters everywhere April 15.
Contact CU Independent Entertainment Editor Sebastian Murdock at Sebastian.murdock@colorado.edu.
