Scream (film series)

Scream
Franchise logo
Directed by	Wes Craven
Produced by	Cathy Konrad Cary Woods Wes Craven Marianne Maddalena Kevin Williamson Iya Labunka
Written by	1, 2, 4 Kevin Williamson 3 Ehren Kruger
Starring	Neve Campbell Courteney Cox David Arquette Roger L. Jackson Jamie Kennedy Liev Schreiber
Music by	Marco Beltrami
Production company	Woods Entertainment Konrad Pictures Corvus Corvax Outerbanks Entertainment
Distributed by	Dimension Films
Release date	Scream December 20, 1996 Scream 2 December 12, 1997 Scream 3 February 4, 2000 Scream 4 April 15, 2011
Running time	Total (4 films) 459 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	Total (4 films) $119 million
Box office	Total (4 films) $604.2 million

Scream is an American horror franchise created by Kevin Williamson. Starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette, the film series has grossed over US$600 million in worldwide box-office receipts and consists, to date, of four motion pictures directed by Wes Craven. The first series entry, Scream, was released on December 20, 1996 and is currently the highest-grossing slasher film in the United States. The second entry Scream 2 was released on December 12, 1997 followed by a third installment, Scream 3, released February 4, 2000. Eleven years after the previous film, Scream 4 was released on April 15, 2011. The films follow the main protagonist, Sidney Prescott, and her war against a succession of murderers who adopt the guise of Ghostface to stalk and torment their victims. Sidney receives support in the films from town deputy Dewey Riley, reporter Gale Weathers, and film-geek Randy Meeks. A television adaptation of the film series was released by MTV on June 30, 2015. The series follows different characters and new storylines, not connected to the film series.

Williamson's original script was bought by Miramax and developed under the Dimension Films label by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, who recruited Craven to direct, who in turn recruited composer Marco Beltrami to score the film. This team went on to be involved in each film in the series though Williamson was forced to take a smaller role for Scream 3, writing only a brief plot outline due to his commitments to other projects, with Ehren Kruger replacing him as screenwriter. The series' violence resulted in conflicts with the Motion Picture Association of America and news media concerning censorship resulting in a reduction of violence and gore in Scream 3 when the Columbine High School massacre brought increased focus on the media's influence on society. Scream became notable for its use of established and recognizable actors which was uncommon for horror films at the time, yet has since become common in part due to Scream's success.