Emma Roberts and Hayden Panettiere SCREAM 4 Interview

While reuniting original cast members Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, Scream 4 also brings in a whole new cast of possible victims and sets the stage for further installments of the highly successful horror franchise. In the 11 years since Scream 3 was released, and with 15 years having passed since the debut of the first film, the world as well as the landscape of horror have changed, and all of that is taken into account while still nodding its head toward its origin.

At the film’s press day, Scream newcomers Emma Roberts and Hayden Panettiere talked about what drew them to the franchise, being the new guys on set with the original trio of actors, working on a film that is so secretive, and what scares them in real life.

Question: What was the draw of this for you guys? Were you fans of this franchise, or were you horror fans, in general?


EMMA ROBERTS: I was a huge fan of the franchise. I’m a huge fan of Wes Craven, and I thought the fact that he was coming back to direct this one meant it was going to be good, and I loved the part. I read the script and it was an interesting role. I’d never done a horror movie, so why not?

HAYDEN PANETTIERE: It’s an exciting thing to be a part of. For four years, I was on a show (Heroes) that was in the sci-fi and, at times, horror genre. Horror movies can really go one way or the other – they can go amazingly or they can go terribly – and it’s generally an extreme, in one way or the other, so you have to be very careful. And then, a film like this comes along. I love how long it’s been since the last film. It’s a sequel, but at the same time it’s a re-boot, and it’s a combination. It’s cleverly remembering where it comes from. It really uses the cliches to our benefit and has grown with the audience. As generations go on, they just get smarter and harder to scare. It’s a very cool movie and a fun thing to be a part of. Who wouldn't want to be in Scream? I was sitting on set thinking, “Aren’t I supposed to be watching this movie? I don’t think I’m supposed to be here.” I never could have imagined myself on screen with Neve Campbell, screaming. It just didn’t make sense.

Q. Emma, was it intimidating to be the new guy on this successful franchise, surrounded by the original cast?

ROBERTS: I don’t think I was intimidated coming into it, but I was definitely excited. I didn’t know what to expect, so I relinquished expectations and just went into it thinking, “I hope I have fun, I hope everyone’s cool, and I hope we make a good movie.” For the most part, I think that’s what happened, so I’m really happy.

Q. Did you have any say over your outcome in the film?

ROBERTS: We didn’t have any say in anything.

PANETTIERE: Fortunately. I don’t know that you would want to have say in that.


Q. Were you let in on who the killer was going to be?

ROBERTS: We had to keep everything a secret. You can’t trust actors.

PANETTIERE: Come on, I would lie to us!


Q. How was it to shoot in Michigan? What did you do in your downtime?

ROBERTS: I feel like we all got cast and then thrown into it pretty quickly. We were in Michigan during the summer, and we all stayed near each other, so we would get together and go to dinner, and go out and hang out. It was really fun. It was a fun summer. Arbor is really fun. We had a really good time there.

PANETTIERE: It was a really cool thing to have the original cast there and to get to know them. Sometimes Neve would rent this cottage for a weekend and invite everyone out to have a barbecue, which is where Anthony [Anderson] and David [Arquette] almost set the trees on fire. We all got to really bond. It was very much like summer camp.

Q. Hayden, what scares you the most?

PANETTIERE: I actually had an experience where I thought somebody was breaking into my house. That’s got to be the most terrified I’ve ever been in my life. I don’t know if that’s saying much. The fear, especially as a female in a house by yourself, was horrible. There happened to be a blackout in the area that I was living in, at that time, so my alarm was going off, but nobody was coming. You go into this survival instinct mode, when you feel like your life is in jeopardy. I found myself in the bathroom with my taser, which I have 10 of, my panic button and my cell phone. It was the most terrifying experience I’ve ever had in my life. That desperation and that not knowing who was going to come or what would happen or what you would have to do is terrifying. I thought someone was breaking in, but I overreacted a little bit. I wound up crawling out my window to find five or six guns with the laser beams pointed at me. I was like, “Don’t shoot me, please! It’s me! It’s me! It’s my house!” They did eventually come, but they almost shot me. I’m not joking.


Q. Did you get to try on the Ghostface mask at all?

PANETTIERE: I never went near that mask!