Ghostface set to return as new 'Scream' sequel is in the works

The masked Ghostface Killer first appeared in 1996 slasher movie 'Scream'. (Credit: Dimension Films)

The Scream franchise is set to return to cinemas, eight years after the Ghostface Killer last struck on the big screen.

Spyglass Media Group is currently developing a new movie in the horror franchise, according to Bloody Disgusting.

It is unclear whether this will be a direct sequel to 2011’s Scream 4, a total reboot or a sequel to just part of the series in a similar style to Blumhouse’s recent Halloween.

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The company gained the rights to the characters when it was relaunched by a team including the co-presidents of Lantern Entertainment, who owned Scream after picking up the assets of Dimension Films when they were sold off in the wake of the allegations against boss Harvey Weinstein.

Spyglass is also seeking to remake Hellraiser, which was the other major horror franchise owned by Dimension.

Drew Barrymore appears in the famous opening sequence of 'Scream' in 1996. (Credit: Dimension Films)

The Scream franchise has been absent from the multiplex since Wes Craven helmed Scream 4, though three seasons of a TV show based on the central concept have aired since then.

VH1 aired the third season of the show, entitled Scream: Resurrection, in July of this year.

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The concept was first created by writer Kevin Williamson — under the original title Scary Movie — and his script was picked up by Miramax.

Craven, director of A Nightmare on Elm Street, was attached to the project and would go on to direct the 1996 movie, as well as its three sequels.

The filmmaker passed away in 2015 at the age of 76.

Wes Craven attends the screening of "Life Itself" at the ArcLight Cinemas on June 26, 2014. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)

Original creator Williamson penned the script for all of the movies with the exception of Scream 3 in 2000, though he did write a draft outline of that film’s story.

Bloody Disgusting’s report suggests that Williamson is not currently involved in the new Scream movie.

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The Ghostface mask has become a staple of Halloween costumes in the years since the franchise first debuted, with the character one of the most memorable in horror history.