One of the staples of the Scream franchise has always been the opening sequence. This past Spring’s fourth entry in the franchise was no exception, as it featured multiple fake-outs and the signature pop-culture-infused/meta dialogue that took that we’ve come to expect from the series. It’s no secret that director Wes Craven did some reshoots on Scream 4, and with the Blu-ray release of the flick we now have a chance to see some of the stuff that was discarded, like this alternate opening to the film. For those who haven’t seen the pic just yet, we’ll keep it spoiler-free on the front page. Hit the jump to watch the alternate opening.

Although Scream 4 served as a helpful reminder that we didn’t really need another Scream movie, apparently not everyone got the message.  Because the film grossed $97 million worldwide off a $40 million budget (plus P&A), director Wes Craven believes Scream 5 could be on the way.  The director tells Movieweb:

The odds are that there will be (a Scream 5). It is something that Bob Weinstein wants to do. He tends to do what he wants to do. So I am inclined to think that there will be (another sequel). Whether I will be a part of it or not? I don’t know. My contract gives me the first look. If they show me something that is really wonderful? Of course I will be a part of it.

Back in April 2010, we reported that Craven was already signed for Scream 5 and Scream 6, but it now appears that he simply had first-look deals rather than a firm commitment to helm a new trilogy.  Hit the jump for more details.

After driving off with $33.2 million on Friday, a record debut for April, Universal’s Fast Five went on to an incredible weekend estimate of $83.6 million from 3,644 locations.  And, as on Friday, that was also good enough to break all kinds of records.

Woo-hoo.  Folks, it looks like 2011 has indeed soared to its first big weekend win in months on the wings of Fox’s Rio.  The 3D animated toon rose from the ashes of a lower than expected Friday figure to earn an estimated $40 million for the three day frame.  Unfortunately, there was not a lot of love left over for Wes Craven’s Scream 4 but, no matter!  The weekend should still end up ahead of last year by approximately 12%.

Remember how box office watchers were counting on this weekend to become 2011’s very first big winner?  A frame whose combined grosses would finally top 2010’s?  With two high profile releases – Rio and Scream 4 – that seemed a reasonable conclusion and it still appears doable.  Unfortunately, Friday’s estimates suggest that it will not be the unqualified rout we expected considering that last April’s strongest contender was Kick-Ass.  Fox is reporting a $10.2 million opening for Rio from 3,826 locations (well over half of those in 3D).  That is not much above the $9.6 million debut of the year’s top opener Rango, which had no 3D price boost in its favor.  Projections originally put Rio above Rango’s weekend total but it now appears that the toon will end up well below that $38.1 figure.  Meanwhile Scream 4, which many believed would win Friday, pulled in an estimated $8.3 million from 3,305 locations.  That puts the sequel on track for a $22 million weekend – well below even the most conservative early projections.  Finally, three films are statistically tied for fourth place with Soul Surfer, Hanna and Arthur all estimated in the $2.1 million range for Friday while The Conspirator debuted at number ten with $1.7 million.  Details and analysis tomorrow.

The Scream franchise is a series of horror movies whose greatest asset has never been horror.  They provide the occasional jump scare, but the strength of the series lies in crafting a critique of the slasher genre, audiences (Scream 2), and Hollywood (Scream 3).  The first Scream did the best job in balancing scares with satire, but eventually the series devolved into ninety minutes of misdirection finished by a twenty minute speech where the killer explains his or her motivations.  In between the movie gropes at subtext, but rarely in a coherent way that’s clever or rewarding.  Scream 4 carries on this sad tradition but adds a heavy dose of resentment to the proceedings as it bitterly attacks everyone who left the snarky franchise behind.

Fifteen years after Scream began with a terrifying phone call that kicked off one of the most successful horror film franchises, director Wes Craven, writer Kevin Williamson, and stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette have all reunited for to renew the Ghostface legacy in Scream 4.

At the film’s press day, co-stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette talked about playing these characters for 15 years now, the challenges of bringing the Scream franchise to a newer and more savvy audience, working with a horror icon like Wes Craven, working with the new cast that was brought in this time around, and whether they cover their own eyes during horror films. Check out what they had to say after the jump:

Scream 4 premiered this week at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, and  returning cast members Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette were there to celebrate their 15 years with the successful horror film franchise, helmed by horror master Wes Craven.

Joining the film’s original cast was a who’s who of young Hollywood, including Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, True Blood star Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell, Community’s Alison Brie, Friday Night Lights star Aimee Teegarden, Pretty Little Liars’ Lucy Hall, 90210 star Shenae Grimes, Britt Robertson (in the upcoming CW series Secret Circle), Marley Shelton, Adam Brody, Anthony Anderson, Rory Culkin and Nico Tortorella, all of whom appear in the film. Along with the film’s cast, other celebs on the carpet were director Eli Roth, who was accompanied by rocker Marilyn Manson, Freddie Highmore (who co-stars with Emma Roberts in Homework), Jamie Kennedy, Jesse Metcalfe, Seth Green, original Scream star Matthew Lillard, guitarist Pete Wentz and director Robert Rodriguez. Check out all of the exclusive photos after the jump.

While reuniting original cast members Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, Scream 4 also brings in a whole new cast of possible victims and sets the stage for further installments of the highly successful horror franchise. In the 11 years since Scream 3 was released, and with 15 years having passed since the debut of the first film, the world as well as the landscape of horror have changed, and all of that is taken into account while still nodding its head toward its origin. You can watch some clips from Scream 4 here.

At the film’s press day, Scream newcomers Emma Roberts and Hayden Panettiere talked about what drew them to the franchise, being the new guys on set with the original trio of actors, working on a film that is so secretive, and what scares them in real life. Check out what they had to say after the jump:

Fifteen years after the Scream franchise ushered a new wave of horror, series creator Kevin Williamson (The Vampire Diaries, Dawson’s Creek) and horror master Wes Craven, who directed the first trilogy, have reunited for Scream 4. Reflecting back on where it came from, and taking into account the technological and internet savvy world we now live in, the film reunites its lead trio while introducing a new group of actors for Ghostface to terrorize.

At the film’s press day, director Wes Craven talked about taking the internet into consideration for this installment in the horror franchise, the spy work involved with keeping the story secret, how screenwriter Ehren Kruger only made minor changes to Kevin Williamson’s script, and why this was the perfect time to breathe life into the Scream series again. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

A new TV spot for Scream 4 has been released, this one giving Kristen Bell and Anna Paquin a little bit of screen time. Helmed by franchise staple Wes Craven, the film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Alison Brie, and Adam Brody. Hit the jump to check out the spot. Scream 4 hits theaters April 15^th.

With director Wes Craven’s Scream 4 hitting theaters on April 15, we’ve been sent four new images to help promote the film. Scream 4 stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Alison Brie, and Adam Brody. Hit the jump to check out the images [Warning: At least one of the pics could be taken as a mild spoiler. So, yeah, you've been warned.]

Also, in case you missed them, you can check out three clips from the film here and a recent television spot by clicking here.

We’ve received three new clips from the latest installment in director Wes Craven’s Scream franchise. The whole gang is back, ten years after the most recent flick in the series. In Scream 4, Sydney Prescott returns to Woodsboro for a signing of her new book. Well, as you can imagine, Ghostface starts to terrorize the town once again. The old gang, alongside a number of new faces, take turns running around, spouting off pop-culture-infused wit, and getting killed. Sounds like a good time to be had by all.

Hit the jump to check out the clips. Scream 4 stars Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox Arquette, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin, and Hayden Panettiere.  The film opens April 15th.

Hard to believe that fifteen years ago marked the first appearance of the Ghost Face killer slashing his way onto movie screens. Wes Craven’s Scream 4 will be the first installment of the franchise in ten years and we have bloody new TV spots and stills to share with you. While the trailer promises the return of some of Woodsboro’s most familiar faces, you can rest assured that Scream 4 will feature barely clothed hot girls doing stupid things and Ghost Face getting his stab on. We get older, they stay the same age. Hit the jump to check it out.

When Scream first hit theaters in 1996, it took pop-culture by storm. Now, director Wes Craven returns to the franchise in a new decade with Scream 4. During production of the flick, it was announced that screenwriter Kevin Williamson (who scripted the first two Scream films) was being replaced with Ehren Kruger (who wrote the third Scream film, which was received, um, not well…). Craven made everyone uneasy when, shortly after that news broke, he tweeted from the set “No longer in control of the script.” The director recently sat down with Total Film magazine (via ScreamTrilogy) to discuss the issue:

“I was just stating the fact. In some ways it’s a Wes Craven film, and in way it’s not entirely, because it’s not a script I have control of. It’s ultimately controlled by what the studio wants in the script. My job is much more bringing whatever experience and expertise and creativity I can. Look, there was a bumpy period when things shifted over from Kevin to Ehren. I signed up to do a script by Kevin and unfortunately that didn’t go all the way through the shooting. But it certainly is Kevin’s script and concept and ideas and themes.”

For more, including 4 new images from the film, hit the jump. [Update: We've updated the article with the hi-res version of the images]