Is there trouble at theScream 4mill? Or are the usual comings and goings of a Hollywood production getting blown out of proportion?
Here's what we know so far. Screenwriter Ehren Kruger (Scream 3, Transformers: ROFL) has been brought in to tinker with Kevin Williamson's script, while actress Lauren Graham has left the production. Two questions then: 1) Where is Williamson? and 2) What happened to Graham?
There are differing answers. Zap2it, who broke the story, reported that Williamson has walked away from Ghostface and co entirely (calling into question the rest of the projected new trilogy), and that Graham, disgusted with her reduced role in **Scream 4 **Kruger-style, quit in high dudgeon. According to this version of events, Hayden Panettiere is also "beyond frustrated" at the whittling and dumbing down of her own role.
But a sceptical Shocktillyoudrop got in touch with "a source close to the production", who reassured them that Williamson is still intimately involved with the series, but is simply busy at this very moment with his commitments to the second season of The Vampire Diaries. Kruger, according to this version, was just available at short notice for touch-ups, and Graham, like Williamson, was forced to pull out due to her own scheduling conflicts: in her case with the Parenthood TV series.
The voice of reason or damage limitation? Williamson's involvement with Scream 3 was reduced due to similar TV obligations (at that time to Wasteland) and there's not yet any published evidence to suggest a falling out with the production. Then again, he's not been using his Twitter account to deny anything. Significant?
Marielle Jaffe Facebookedyesterday that "filming has been going great! We are so lucky to be in the hands of the mastermind, Wes Craven! Genius!" And we'd be surprised if Craven himself, not a fan of Scream 3 and quite equivocal about Scream 4 before his involvement was secured, must have received some pretty serious reassurances from the Weinsteins before he came aboard. But then again, there's the rather ominous Craven tweet, "I have not been given control of the script."
It's Independence Day weekend in the States, so they're all at the beach right now, but expect some official statements and updates shortly...