Matthew Lillard is an incredibly humble and appreciative actor. He really deserves more success.
If Scream avoids the meta themes it was built on then what makes it any different from the dozens of other slashers?
Toning down does not mean completely avoiding them. Think back on Scream 1 - self aware to an extent, referential to other films and horror films, acknowledging horror tropes, etc. Now we have movies within movies, movies within movies within movies, constantly referencing movies (more than Scream 1), and Scream 4 even using the word "meta" on screen. Plus, all the sequels have followed the same exact formula as Scream 1.
There is a way to tone down the meta stuff and switch things up to feel fresh this time around, while still feeling like a Scream movie. I'm confident that's what we'll be getting in Scream 5.
Fake news. I watched the reunion event and this was not what was said about Scream 5. He did not say there were be no meta aspects to Scream 5 and praised the new filmmakers.
""What I love about the new Scream is that it does take a fresh approach. It’s this beautiful sort of fresh new movie, but it also has this nostalgic factor that runs through it. That to me was a perfect blend of how to do the next Scream. So that was what I was most excited about. I’m blown away by the directors, and I was really nervous because nobody is Wes Craven. I was really hesitant to even jump on board and be a part of it, and boy am I glad I did because I think it’s going to make Wes proud."
However, when someone asked Williamson how he would advise other filmmakers on making a new Scream movie, he did say something interesting:
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I get what we means and I do agree that the new film should be less reliant on the "meta", self-aware aspects. Both Scream 3 and especially Scream 4 were too over the top in that regard. The new film needs to be scarier. Think about how terrifying the opening scene of the original Scream is compared to the meta-focused opening of Scream 4. It's time to get back to that.
Meta is the whole point of this franchise. The film should look at current popular horror trends and deconstruct and poke fun at those.
I would have this film somehow take a meta approach to the Conjuring universe since they are the major horror films of this era. Scream doesnt necessarily need to pigeon hole itself in the slaser genre and it would probably benefit creatively if they explored another subgenre. Make ghost face a literal ghost or go for a hard R rated Scooby-Doo type thing with somebody faking a demonic haunting to kill and torment people. Make one of the supporting characters a defrocked catholic exorcist.
They should be meta about how meta everything is. Full meta. Meta-inception. And then when you think they can’t even be more meta, Courtney looks at the camera and winks.