[officialleafan]

It's fair to call Wes Craven, the director of A Nightmare on Elm Street and the Scream series, something of a horror movie icon. A remake of his first film, 1972's highly-controversial The Last House On The Left, is out in cinemas this Friday. While speaking to Craven about the new Last House (more on that soon), we quizzed him about the future of the Scream franchise.

What's the status with Scream 4 at the moment? Are we going to see you direct it?
"Bob Weinstein (The Weinstein Company co-chairman) has talked to me, he's interested in me directing it. I had a brief conversation with Kevin [Williamson], I know that Kevin is writing. What I've said to Bob is I'm not closed to it, I'm not open to it, I'll be perfectly happy to read a script and tell him what I think. That's where it's at and I'm not expecting a script until August. I don't know what the premise is or anything."

Do you know what form it's taking? The word 'reboot' has been used.
"I don't think it's a reboot and Kevin, when he talked to me, said, 'Remember, it's not just Scream 4, it's Scream 5 and 6.' So I guess he has a trilogy in mind."

It's looking like the Arquettes are coming back. Do you know if Neve Campbell will be returning?
"I've been told, and I don't think they'll mind if I say this, the deals on David Arquette and Courteney are virtually set. I believe everybody else will be new."

You satirised the horror genre with the original Scream trilogy. Is there a danger that it'll either lose its edge or fall into self-parody the more films you make?
"There are a host of dangers in making more films. We have a saying in the United States, 'Jump the shark'. You don't want to do that, you don't want to drive it into the ground. You're avoiding those kind of dangers, hopefully, making the kind of film that has self-awareness from the characters where they're talking about film. I'm sure you can run that into the ground very quickly. I don't have a clue what Kevin is writing. He might be completely going around me, I don’t know."

Were you flattered or annoyed by the Scary Movie series poking fun at Scream?
"I laughed but it was also annoying because somebody used my very shots and I didn't have any financial participation in it! It was less than a year after we'd finished Scream 3 that that came out. You just have to keep moving in Hollywood because somebody will be right on your heels making parodies of what you've just done."

Yes!! Hope Neve will come back now!