Skeet Ulrich Reveals ‘Scream’ Almost Canceled Due to Controversial Opening Scene

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In 1996, Skeet Ulrich, a key player in Wes Craven’s revolutionary horror film “Scream,” disclosed that the production of this iconic movie was initially at risk. This danger arose due to an unconventional move made by Craven regarding the intensely gruesome opening scene. Fortunately, “Scream” managed to escape cancellation and continue its journey to become a horror classic.

According to People Magazine, Ulrich made an appearance at Mega Con 2025 in Orlando where he discussed the franchise. During a Scream panel, the actor revealed that the initial scene in the movie showing Drew Barrymore being attacked by Ghostface was met with disapproval from producers. It is said that they were against continuing the film just two weeks into shooting, and director Wes Craven had to rally backing from Miramax Films to keep production going.

It seems you might not be aware that our initial plan was to film a scene featuring Drew Barrymore at the start of the movie. We completed that segment, but unfortunately, Miramax decided to halt production after that. They essentially communicated, “We no longer wish to produce this film. We’re unsure about its direction.

Wes Craven and two fellow producers hastily pieced together the opening segment of the film in Napa Valley, California, and expedited it to New York. Upon viewing it, Bob and Harvey Weinster (founders of Miramax Films) responded, “Ah, now we understand. Carry on.

The opening sequence of Scream, created by Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson, is now widely recognized as one of the greatest openings in horror movie history. They introduced a fresh breed of terrifying villains, a relentless duo who were both creative and merciless due to their obsession with horror films. Additionally, Craven broke some traditional horror rules by offing the character portrayed by the most well-known actor on the poster, making it clear that Scream was not going to be just another run-of-the-mill horror movie.

At the Mega Con event, Ulrich shared insights about the movie’s enduring impact and the unanticipated surge in popularity that the series has experienced lately, with the releases of “Scream” in 2022 and “Scream VI” in 2023.

It wasn’t until I began attending conventions that I became aware of this trend, and over the past five years, its growth has been significantly more than anticipated. To be honest, I’m at a loss as to why this is happening – it was never something we considered while developing it.

Initially, we were just a group of youngsters aspiring for greater success in the industry, yet, in essence, we were a team of performers who dared to make a movie that the bigwigs of Hollywood might have thought twice about producing.

Skeet Ulrich Welcomed a ‘Scream’ Co-Star Back Into the Franchise

At MegaCon, Skeet Ulrich took advantage of the occasion to extend a warm welcome back to one of his co-stars from the 1996 film, who is rejoining the franchise. Specifically, Matthew Lillard will be reprising his role as Stu Macher, a key accomplice and killer alongside Billy Loomis in Scream. Needless to say, Ulrich was thrilled about Lillard’s comeback.

I was absolutely thrilled for him, as anyone who has attended one of these events, met him, or kept up with his journey, is well aware of his long-held dream for this very thing.

Despite the fact that it’s yet unclear how Stu will make his comeback in the next Scream movie following an accident with a TV set, director Kevin Williamson is certain to come up with a solution. In the last two installments of the Scream universe, Billy Loomis was seen in cameos, confirming that he’s still alive. However, Sam Carpenter, one of the main characters who believed in her father Billy Loomis’ survival, has been written out of the franchise due to Melissa Barrera’s departure. Therefore, whether or not Billy Loomis will reappear in Scream 7 is a significant uncertainty given the new direction the movie is taking.

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2025-02-09 20:01