Scream 4 Star Describes Spooky Call She Received From Wes Craven

[Animous]

Scream 4 star, Marley Shelton, recalled her first interaction with Wes Craven, discussing the spooky experience she had in a call with the director. Shelton starred in the 2011 sequel in the long-running slasher horror series, which Craven directed. Shelton played Deputy Judy Hicks, who works under original film survivor Dwight "Dewey" Riley, portrayed by David Arquette and had then become the sheriff of the town of Woodsboro.

Shelton joined the franchise in Scream 4 as Judy Hicks, a young deputy in Woodsboro who idolized Dewey following the events of previous films, Judy is drawn into the events of the film when a new wave of Ghostface Killer-esque murders begin in Woodsboro on the 15th anniversary of the original massacre. Judy joins Dewey, Sidney (Neve Campbell), and Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) to track down the new culprit and put an end to the terror. Shelton will return in 2022's Scream, as seen in recently released trailers for the fifth installment, but has also opened up about her first days as part of the series.

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When speaking to Bloody Disgusting about her return to the franchise, Shelton recalled the first interaction she ever had with Craven. Shelton stated she was a fan of the franchise and was humbled to be working on the film. She remembered that the first day she joined the project, she was jet-lagged following a flight from Europe. Shelton received a call saying "Hello, Marley," with the voice sounding ghostly to her and scaring her, with Shelton then comparing the call to Ghostface's in the film series. Ultimately, it was Craven just checking up on her, and Shelton praised Craven as cool and brilliant, with an interesting philosophy on horror. Check out Shelton's full response below:

"I was such a huge fan of his going into it that I was just incredibly humbled and excited to get to work with him. I remember the first day I got there, I had been traveling from Europe, and I was jet-lagged. I was in the hotel room, it was dark, and I got this phone call. I answered my phone, and the voice was, ‘Hello, Marley.’ It honestly sounded like a ghost. It was Wes Craven calling just to check in and see how I was doing. But it sounded like Ghostface to me, and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh. I have Ghostface on the line.’ It just felt so real. Like life imitating art. Anyway. He was the coolest. He’s so brilliant and personable. He has such a philosophy about the value of horror films. Psychologically, for audiences, he really believes that they’re a cathartic healthy thing for our psyche. It was just awesome to participate in his vision, of course. I was a huge fan of the Scream franchise, so I just felt honored.”

Craven stated that Scream's 5 installments would happen following Scream 4's release, with the director committed to direct the fifth and sixth installment depending on the fourth film's performance. The project remained in production hell for many years following the release of Scream 4 due to multiple issues, starting with the fourth film underperforming by The Weinstein Company's expectations. Despite executives pushing for a sequel, the project remained in limbo for many years, with screenwriter Kevin Williamson leaving the project, The Weinstein Company closing in the wake of revelations regarding Harvey Weinstein, and the unfortunate passing of Craven in 2015. The franchise would be revived by Spyglass Media Group, with Williamson serving as an executive producer, and Campbell, Cox, Arquette, and Shelton returning to reprise their roles for 2022's Scream.

Shelton's story is a good example of both what made Scream a unique film at the time, and why Craven is a beloved figure in horror history. With the film celebrating its 25th anniversary, Scream has become widely beloved for its satirical takes on the at-the-time long-overplayed and cliched slasher genre, bringing new life into the genre with smart characters aware of the conventions audiences had come to expect, who would comment on many moments of the film. It is a series built on fan appreciation for the genre by one of its pioneers, so Shelton's story of going from a fan to starring in Scream 4 and working alongside Craven feels like a fitting behind-the-scenes story of a dream come true.

[Silent Watcher]

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