Kevin Williamson Talks ‘Scream 4’

Writer Kevin Williamson made a surprise exit from Scream 4 when there were disputes over the script.

With the film set to come out next Friday the 15th, Williamson is now talking about leaving the project, and also the odds of him returning to write the already planned Scream 5 and 6.

Williamson explains in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly:

Oh, I got in a big fight with Bob Weinstein. God love him. I’ve worked with the man for 16 years out of my 16-year career. We get in some fights. We’re a very dysfunctional family over there at the Weinstein Co. We got into a massive fight creatively and we hugged it out and then we moved on. Oh just, you know — I felt strongly about this and he felt strongly about that and then I did this and that wasn’t right. Everyone was second-guessing everything because everyone wanted it to be so perfect. That’s exactly what happened. The one thing that Bob and I connect on very basically, why we’ve worked successfully together for 16 years, is we’re passionate. And no one is more passionate than Bob Weinstein. And it is that passion that allows you to make a movie where he will believe in you and trust in you and it’s also that passion that can cause fights and cause struggle. For 16 years, he’s kept me gainfully employed. I love him. Yes, we got into the fight, but then the big clincher came: Contractually, I had signed on to do The Vampire Diaries [Williamson’s series for The CW]. You know, the little thing called first and second position? I was in first position to do Vampire Diaries and second position to do Scream 4. So guess what? It was a contractual thing. Warner Bros called up and they said, “Dude where are you? You have a show that’s on the air — where are you?” I did double duty as much as I could but The Vampire Diaries was also very important to me. But then one blog got a hold of it. It’s fine. What are you going to say? Yeah we got into a massive fight, but at the same time the fight ended and we hugged it out and we continued forward and we tried to make the best movie possible. But it was also very raw and sensitive.

I’m very supportive of the film and I hope everybody likes it. Not for a second would I dare do that to Wes Craven and Neve and Courteney and David and Bob Weinstein, who made my career. The reality is I did I worked very hard on the film. I did my darndnest to try and make a really good movie. I gave it my all. I wrote everything I thought I could write. Then they had to film it and I had to get back to The Vampire Diaires. So I think I really contributed. I hope it all turns out! My fingers are crossed!

As for if he will be back for Scream 5, Williamson says: “Let’s just get through Scream 4! If people really respond to the film, then yes, there are more twists and turns.”