Scream (1996 film)

Scream
Scream
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Wes Craven
Written by	Kevin Williamson
Produced by	Cathy Konrad; Cary Woods;
Starring	David Arquette; Neve Campbell; Courteney Cox; Matthew Lillard; Rose McGowan; Skeet Ulrich; Drew Barrymore;
Cinematography	Mark Irwin
Edited by	Patrick Lussier
Music by	Marco Beltrami
Production; company	Woods Entertainment
Distributed by	Dimension Films
Release dates	December 18, 1996 (Los Angeles); December 20, 1996 (United States);
Running time	111 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$14–15 million
Box office	$173 million

Scream is a 1996 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. It stars David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich and Drew Barrymore. Set in the fictional town of Woodsboro, California, Scream's plot follows high school student Sidney Prescott (Campbell) and her friends, who, on the anniversary of her mother's murder, become the targets of a costumed serial killer known as Ghostface.

Williamson, who was struggling to get his projects off the ground, was inspired by reports of a series of murders by the Gainesville Ripper as he wrote a screenplay that satirized the clichés of the slasher genre popularized in films such as Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980), and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Developed under the title Scary Movie, Williamson's script became the subject of an intense bidding war from multiple studios before Miramax Films purchased the rights. Craven, despite turning down the opportunity multiple times, agreed to direct the film after he had read the script as he was determined to re-establish himself after several career setbacks. The involvement of Barrymore and Cox helped secure more support from the studio. Principal photography took place from April to June 1996 in California on a budget of $15 million. Craven trimmed down the violence in the film after being involved in a tense conflict with the Motion Picture Association of America over the desired R-rating.

Released on December 20, 1996, Scream was not expected to perform well due to concerns over releasing a slasher film in a time normally reserved for holiday entertainment, but it went on to gross approximately $173 million worldwide through the strength of word of mouth, becoming a surprise success and one of the highest-grossing films of the year. Reviews praised the performances of its cast and its unique meta humor but criticized its excessive violence and lack of suspense in favor of that humor. The film helped elevate Williamson's career as a writer and raised the profiles of the rest of the cast.

Scream is now regarded as one of the greatest horror and slasher films ever made. It has been credited with rekindling interest in the horror genre during the 1990s following a decline in the genre's popularity. It has remained influential, as Barrymore's involvement helped make participating in horror films more acceptable to prominent actors and increased horror films' appeal with younger audiences. The success of the film launched a multimedia franchise, which comprises the sequels Scream 2 (1997), Scream 3 (2000), Scream 4 (2011), Scream (2022), and Scream VI (2023), as well as an anthology television series.