I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For SCREAM

Eight days ago, we got the first trailer for the upcoming SCREAM reboot, and based on The Quorum data, the film looks to scare up some big business.

For those of you too young to remember, the original SCREAM debuted in December 1996 and remained in the top five for eight weeks en route to a $103M haul. That was good enough to rank as the 13th highest-grossing film of that year.

At the time, horror films simply weren’t connecting at the box office. In the years leading up to SCREAM, horror fans were being fed a staple of uninspired sequels, including JASON GOES TO HELL, CANDYMAN: FAREWELL TO THE FLESH and TALES FROM THE CRYPT: DEMON NIGHT, to name just a few. At the high end, these films would maybe crack $20M at the box office. 

When SCREAM came along, it proved to be a game-changer. It ushered in a new wave of horror films that added smart comedic elements and a knowing wink-of-the-eye towards the traditional genre tropes. It was quickly followed by I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER and, naturally, SCREAM 2, which also crossed $100M. 

This time around, SCREAM is entering a marketplace where horror is as healthy as ever. And it certainly looks like the new SCREAM will add to the genre’s success. As you can see below, the trailer resulted in a 15 point gain in awareness. 

Amazingly, it now ranks 4th in awareness among all the films currently being tracked by The Quorum. It’s ahead of big-time upcoming releases like DUNE, ETERNALS, and THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS. 

Now, I know what you’re thinking, awareness is high because it’s a built-in brand. True, but the same can be said for nearly all the films in the top 20. 

If you need further proof of just how big these numbers are, consider that awareness for SCREAM (dark yellow) – at three months out – is already higher than HALLOWEEN KILLS (light yellow) at its release. 

It’s also worth mentioning that interest in SCREAM isn’t so bad either. With an interest score of 5.5, it’s higher than 5.2 for KILLS. 

Bottom line, Paramount may have a monster hit on its hands with this one. That is, of course, if these numbers hold over the next few months.