Kevin Williamson Breaks Down the Secrets of 'Scream VII'

"Poe was an inspiration for the young writer-Williamson's script for 1996's Scream was actually his salvation, opening every door in Hollywood that had previously slammed in his face. His self-aware slasher cleared the path for three decades of Ghostface sequels, allowed him to make genre favorites I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Faculty, and got him the greenlight for the now-classic coming-of-age TV drama Dawson's Creek."

"His second chance behind the camera comes with Scream VII, which returns the focus to Neve Campbell's perpetually targeted Sydney Prescott (now Sydney Evans.) It also reckons with the meta-meaning the films have had for both the actress and the storyteller."

"In this wide-ranging Esquire interview, Williamson cuts loose-so to speak. He delves into how he was brought back to the Scream-iverse in a time of upheaval and controversy, the backstory behind the new film's gruesome set pieces, and goes in-depth about Matthew Lillard's return as the maybe-not-dead serial killer from the first film."

Kevin Williamson's 1996 script for Scream launched his career, leading to three decades of Ghostface sequels, films like I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Faculty, and the TV drama Dawson's Creek. Though he directed only one film, Teaching Mrs. Tingle in 1999, Williamson is now returning behind the camera for Scream VII. The film reunites Neve Campbell's Sydney Prescott with the franchise and addresses the meta-significance these films hold for both the actress and storyteller. In an Esquire interview, Williamson discusses his return during a period of upheaval, the new film's set pieces, and Matthew Lillard's return as the possibly-still-alive serial killer from the original film.

Read at Esquire