Highlights
- Kevin Williamson will direct Scream 7, following Christopher Landon’s departure from the project. Fans await a unique take on the popular horror franchise.
- Both Landon and Williamson focus on character development in their horror films, blending humor with scares. Scream 7 may reflect this style.
- Expect Kevin Williamson to draw inspiration from Landon’s light-hearted approach and unique premises to make Scream 7 funny, creepy, and smart.
While Christopher Landon was attached to Scream 7 as director in 2023, he left several months ago and Kevin Williamson took his place. Although it was exciting to learn that Kevin Williamson would direct Scream 7 given how many of the franchise’s movies he has been involved in, it would have been cool to see what Landon would have done with the project. While fans can expect similar things from each Scream movie, from Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) getting into everyone’s business and Ghostface killing people because of Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell),
After writing several movies in the Paranormal Activity franchise, Christopher Landon wrote and directed Happy Death Day, Happy Death Day 2U, and Freaky. When Kevin Williamson directs Scream 7, there are some ways that he can make the highly anticipated sequel in the popular horror franchise like Christopher Landon’s popular horror movies.
What Inspiration Should Scream 7 Director Kevin Williamson Take From Christopher Landon?
Kevin Williamson can be inspired by Christopher Landon’s light-hearted and fun approach to the horror genre. While Freaky is gorier than Happy Death Day and its sequel, Landon made sure that these three movies had a combination of character development and bloody moments. When directing Scream 7, Kevin Williamson can take inspiration from Christopher Landon and make sure Scream 7 is funny, creepy, and smart.
The strong characters in the Scream franchise has always set it apart from other horror movies. Like the most memorable modern slasher movies, Scream always has intelligent and unique characters. Sidney Prescott’s family background makes it a different kind of final girl since she has more emotional depth to her, and even the Ghostface killers are well developed since they are always hiding in plain sight. If Kevin Williamson’s direction of Scream 7 takes inspiration from Christopher Landon’s Happy Death Day franchise and Freaky, then there will be a great combination of humor and smart characters.
Best of all, Landon’s movies have unique premises. Freaky is one of the best horror movies of the 2020s because the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn) and teenager Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton) swap bodies, which is equally hilarious and terrifying. Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2U are about Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) being terrorized by the Babyface killer and experiencing the day of her murder over and over again, like Groundhog Day. Kevin Williamson can be inspired by Christopher Landon and make Scream 7 surprising by including some unique commentary on horror movies and a Ghostface with a motive that hasn’t been seen before.
Christopher Landon and Kevin Williamson have similar writing styles, which is why either filmmaker would have been a great fit to direct Scream 7. As Landon told The AU Review about making Freaky:
“It was important that the characters were relatable and funny, I think it’s very disarming. I think people are drawn to that…if you can make the audience laugh, it’s that much easier to set them up for a scare. I’ve always come from a place of character, I think that’s how you pull off the horror and the comedy.”
Landon continued:
“If you present your audience with a likeable lead character that they feel comfortable spending an hour-and-a-half, 2 hours with, you can kinda throw anything at them.”
What Was Kevin Williamson’s Directing Style In Teaching Mrs. Tingle?
Kevin Williamson directed Teaching Mrs. Tingle, the 1999 thriller starring Katie Holmes, Marissa Couglin, and Barry Watson as teenagers who kidnap their cruel history teacher (Helen Mirren). The movie is like the Scream franchise and Williamson’s best-known TV series Dawson’s Creek combined. The script is clever and full of satire, and the tense moments between the main characters and Mrs. Tingle are genuinely unnerving.
From this movie, it’s possible to say that Williamson’s directing style is similar to Christopher Landon’s. Both filmmakers focus on character while ensuring there are some scary moments and some hilarious scenes, and their horror movies have some fun and light elements. Characters are always just as key as the scary situations they are in.
Teaching Mrs. Tingle has some sentimental moments between the main characters, as Luke Churner and Leigh Ann Watson bond and develop feelings for each other. Christopher Landon’s horror movies also have some emotional moments. The best example of this is in his 2023 Netflix movie We Have A Ghost which is about the Presley family moving into a new house and discovering a friendly spirit (played by David Harbour). The Scream franchise does have some scenes when the characters connect with each other, like when Sidney and Gale finally became friends instead of enemies. Williamson can take inspiration from this part of Landon’s filmmaking style as well.
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