There have been numerous reports over the weekend speculating that there’s trouble on the set of Scream 4, which started shooting last week. People have been wondering whether something unusual was going on for a couple of weeks, due to the fact both Lauren Graham and Lake Bell dropped out of the film, supposedly because of scheduling problems. However as both had only signed on a few weeks before, it made some wonder what had changed thatmeant that suddenly their schedules didn’t work.
More recently Zap2It has reported that the problems are bigger than just schedules, and that there seem to be big changes happening to the script, with series creator Kevin Williamson out and replaced by Ehren Kruger. Much of the momentum on the project was due to the fact the original creators, including Williamson, had returned, so handing the scripting reins to the man who wrote the inferior Scream 3 is bound to raise eyebrows.
And the rumour is that many aren’t happy about it. Although Luaren Graham still insists it was scheduling that caused her to drop out, Zap2It suggests it was because her role was significantly reduced, while Hayden Panetierre is allegedly unhappy because her part has been significantly dumbed down.
The official line from the studio, which STYD managed to get, is that while Kruger has been brought in, it’s only to do minor polishes, and that he’s only there because Williamson, while still involved, has had to go back to work on the second season of The Vampire Diaries. However fuel has been thrown on the flames by a couple of other things that have been uncovered (partly by Movieline), which is that it’s known via one of his tweets that last week Williamson had sushi with the author of the Zap2it report, suggesting the screenwriter is the source of the story – although that doesn’t mean the writer hasn’t gone tabloid and completely over-reported what he actually said.
Then director Wes Craven tweeted ‘@Zap2it I have not been given control of the script. #SCREAM4′. Although that could merely have been a response to their suggestion he may have had something to do with the script changes, it comes across as if he’s saying he’s not that happy either and is trying to say that what’s going on has nothing to do with him. At the moment it’s difficult to tell whether this is all a storm in a teacup, or if the problems are as big as many are suggesting, but it does seem there’s some studio interference going on, and those involved in making the movie aren’t too impressed.