SCREAM 1973 Spec Script

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Scream 1973 Spec Script Outline by: Bryan Hathaway

Characters:
Maureen Roberts (Danielle Panabaker) -One of those pretty girls but somewhat quiet, but popular.
Emersyn (Ashley Benson)- Popular cheerleader/homecoming. Used to date Henry, trying to make him jealous with Tyson now.
Henry Loomis (Jared Padalecki) -Preppy Jock - Billy's eventual dad. Currently dating Maureen but its a toxic relationship. In somewhat of a love triangle with...
Cotton Weary (Aidan Turner)- Somewhat Nerdy. Lover of horror movies. Dated and still in love with Maureen. Picked on by Henry/Tyson.
Chelsea (China Anne McClain)- Athletic . Best friends with Maureen and Emersyn but can tell is closer with Maureen.
Tyson (John Boyega)- Athletic jock player- any race, best friends with Henry- also picks on Cotton.
Nicoh- comic relief, stoner. (Nicoh Chen)
Neil Prescott- (Andrew Garfield). “Down Home Type.” Good Heart.

Establish these characters in high school in Woodsboro in the early 70's. It’s the last day before a long weekend. Its close to Halloween. Maybe have a cameo from a theatre teacher with the last name Meeks who would end up being Randy's dad. Another cameo from Henry Winkler look alike (future principal Himbry) (looks just like Fonz from Happy Days as meta reference to his character around same time period). Also have a teacher with the last name Macher to reference Stu.  Have people dressed up like Ghostface, (Scarecrow type design, not same design we are used to). We find out it's Woodsboro’s mascot. (Woodsboro Marauders? Woodboro Phantoms?) Is a possible explanation on why that costume is so plentiful in Woodsboro in 1996 and find out they changed their mascot before 96 (Wes Craven wanted that costume to be able to be found at any store that sold costumes.

I picture Maureen getting an almost threatening but very strange letter in her locker- jump scared by Chelsea who Maureen reluctantly tells about the letter and Chelsea blows off /changes the subject. She asks her about being ready for the trip this weekend to Henry's family cabin- Maureen talks about how weird it will be having Henry and Cotton both there at the same time since she’s been romantically involved with both at one point. Chelsea implies she is just horny and blows the comment off more but this establishes the character dynamic. More dialogue throughout the school day establishing these characters.

That evening at the high school football game, we get more character dynamic being established. Something else happens to Maureen from whoever her "stalker" is. Maureen’s car is vandalized ... Emersyn is there to comfort her after the game (cheerleader) and drives her home- they talk a little bit more establishing the relationship dynamic with them and Henry and Tyson. Mentions how Emersyn tried to date Cotton but he was still hung up on Maureen. This conversation shows breakup was relatively new and Cotton established as lifelong friend/neighbor to Maureen.

 The morning (Saturday) we have a scene with them meeting up at Maureen's to all go to cabin. (Cabin in the Woods-esque). On the way up, they stop at a gas station and meet a guy named Neil Prescott. He's a local. Chelsea flirts with him but he has glancing looks with Maureen. Henry sees it and instantly doesn’t like Neil but everyone else does and invites him along to help them get where they’re going and have some beers. Nicoh (smoking weed and cracking jokes ala Chewey from Friday the 13th 2009)- be-friends him immediately.

 While at the cabin- (We are way up in the woods, no landline) Things start happening to people randomly. We get a scene where Cotton tells scary story to the group- This establishes more "horror movie knowledge as well as the characters getting into meta-type discussion about the idea of prequels (What a prequel to psycho existed)..., because at this point in the 70's the trend of prequels hadn’t really started besides Sherlock Holmes/Dracula etc.) Cotton is almost a mixture of Randy and Mickey from Scream 2. Nicoh puts on Ghostface costume and jump scares them (establishing that the costume is there with them). This would also tie into the reason why Billy and Stu chose this costume in Scream 1 (so plentiful).

 Maureen and Henry end up fighting over her flirting with the new guy Neil. Henry blows it off and walks away and drunkenly has sex with Chelsea. They are caught by Maureen. Chelsea immediately feels terrible while Maurine runs off crying. Neil comforts Maureen on porch swing. Neil and Maureen share moments and discuss how she wants to move to Hollywood and she shares her passion of wanting to act one day (Scream 3). Emersyn and Tyson now go off to have sex. We get steamy sex scene and Emersyn leaves to get some water, leaving Tyson alone who is killed. Emersyn shows up to the group at some point all cut up herself. Cotton tries to fight Henry over him breaking Maureen's heart when he returns to cabin and is beaten up pretty badly himself (Reenforcing all of this tension in the group splitting most of them up and now there's a secondary plot of trying to figure out who killed Tyson and cut up Emersyn). Emersyn says whoever it was had on Nicoh's costume and now he cant find it- finger gets pointed at him. They throw him in a room and lock the door until someone can go get help. Cotton volunteers to leave to get the police, and does. Nicoh is killed in the locked room eventually.

 Nicoh is found and fingers are pointed. Chelsea is also killed. Henry and Neil both are thought to be dead, but survive Dewey style. Emersyn is exposed as the killer. Her motive was simply jealousy over Maurine and Henry. Just before she kills Maureen, Cotton shows up with a cop with the last name "Riley" (Tatum and Dewey's Dad or relative). Emersyn is shot by the Cop. We find out reason Emersyn was cut up earlier was self inflicted wounds so she didn’t appear to be the killer. It’s the next morning, police and ambulances are there. Maureen is shown standing with Neil with the door open to Neil's ambulance. Henry and Cotton can both be seen in their ambulances or being attended to by medical staff- looking at Maureen and Neil as well. This gives off a dark suspicious tone.

 We Fast Forward to 1995 or "the distant future". We Pan across the office of the Prescott residence to show a certificate that now shows Maureen Richards last name is Prescott. Maureen, played by Lynn McRee (de-aged if possible) is huddled in the office whispering to someone on the phone. Possibly even takes a break from the phone to hear Neve Campbell's voice yelling to walking out the door, with her saying she is meeting Tatum or perhaps Billy and she will be home later. Maureen goes back to whispering saying that Neil is heading out of town but “yes they have things to discuss” and they'll meet up at some park. Cut to park- Day- Maureen is sitting with Liev S Schreiber’s cotton weary on a park bench. You get impression they've had multiple conversations about the certain subject as we come in mid conversation. Cotton asks if she's "told Syd yet?"  Maureen tells him reluctantly that it was a “hard time in her life”, her and Neil were having a lot of problems then and that Cotton wasn’t the only person she had been seeing outside of her marriage. To Cotton’s dismay he's told that Maureen had also been seeing Henry Loomis and others to which she was ashamed about that point in her life- and its implied through dialogue that she honestly isn’t sure who Sydney belongs to. (This stays in Scream 3 continuity with Roman with this sentence). Implying that Cotton or Henry could possibly also be Sydney's father. She asks him not to contact them anymore that she and Neil's relationship is "good" now. We see a range of emotion on Cotton’s face but he agrees and we pan back to an alley to see a dark figure taking pictures of them and we cut to credits. It's left ambiguous about who the figure is, but now we know someone knows or thinks they’re having an affair. This continues to not ruin any surprise in Scream 1996 if movies are watched in chronological order. 

 I feel like this stays in continuity for the whole franchise but also leaves a possible story that would lead right up to Maureen's murder if needed. I also feel like it makes Scream 2 and especially Scream 3, mean a little bit more with this backstory. This is why I had that ending and wanted show some history between these main characters because we know Maureen and Henry’s affair is Billy’s motivation in Scream 1 and with the end, I was trying to imply why cotton would possibly be framed. This does alter the original trilogy to in fact be more of an arc for Maureen and less of making it just about Sidney.

Thanks for taking the time to read my script outline. If you have any thoughts, contact me on social media or email me at dontgoouttherepod@gmail.com