It was the movie that launched thousands of Halloween costumes, and redefined cinema horror for a new generation of moviegoers, leaving fans screaming for more.

Directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williams, the Scream trilogy took the typical killing spree horror formula and turned it into something that is, according to movie critic Dustin Putman, “smart, scary and genuinely suspenseful—a twist on the stalk-and-slash films from the late 70s and early 80s.”

Now, more than a decade later, Craven and Williams return to make fans scream for the fourth time with Scream 4 opening in theaters on Friday.

With a $14 million dollar budget, the original Scream was a huge financial success, bringing in $103 million, which according to Putman is rarely seen in movies of this genre. The next two followed a similar trend at the box office with Scream 2 clocking in at $172 million and Scream 3 at $161 million worldwide.

Craven and Williams reaped the benefits of the film’s successes as they both received awards for their work.

Craven received the Grand Prize at the Gérardmer Film Festival, and Williams won multiple awards for best writer while the film made its way onto Empire’s list of the 500 greatest movies of all time in 2008.   

The first two films received overall good ratings, even swaying the mind of historically tough critic Roger Ebert who enjoyed both of the first two films.

But Scream 3, according to critics, missed its mark, leaving die-hard fans discouraged about the future of the series.

Rotten Tomatoes rated Scream 3 at 38% on its Tomatometer, claiming that the series had “lost its freshness and originality by falling back on the old horror formulas and clichés.”

David Ruehle, a junior in anthropology, agrees that Scream may have fallen short because of its overuse of the clichés of horror movies in general.

“They’re all the same to me,” Ruehle said. “Nothing new really happens anymore.”

As the new sequel quickly approaches theaters, fans are left wondering if the series will be able to recapture its former glory. But with new young actresses being cast in the film, Scream 4 may be just what fans have been asking for.

Playing alongside the original cast of Courtney Cox, David Arquette and Neve Campbell will be Emma Roberts (It’s Kind of a Funny Story), who plays Jill Roberts, and Hayden Panettiere (television series Heroes), who plays Kirby Reed, as they dodge the latest killing spree.

“It should be interesting,” Jordan Sawyer, a junior in communications,  said when asked about the latest cast additions.

Hayden Panettiere, arguably the most famous of the film’s new stars, spoke with Technician last week in a telephone interview. According to Panettiere, Scream 4 promises to do anything but disappoint with Craven directing the film.

“He’s a mastermind,” Panettiere said. “When he’s on set you can tell how much he loves what he does – it’s a great vibe for the cast.”

Unlike the third film, Scream 4 bends the rules and “redefines” typical slashers, according to Panetierre.  

“It’s not just a sequel,” Panetierre said, “it’s a reboot of the past and the characters. This [movie] is a real roller coaster; it’s a big game of Clue.”

Like the last three films, Scream 4 will have the same satirical sense of humor that pokes fun at teen horror films, adding much-needed comic relief from its spine-jolting scares.

“You’ve got that comedy that other genres have,” Panetierre said. “It’s not the typical horror movie. It’s still terrifying, but has those great moments of being hysterical.”

Although Scream 4 promises to give fans a fresh take on the genre, students still have mixed feelings about its potential for success.

Katie Stevenson, a junior in political science, feels that there may be a glimmer of hope for the new film.  

“[Horror sequels] are usually not very good,” Stevenson said, “but this one might be different.”

For Panettiere, who has acted in various types of film genres,Scream 4 has been a unique experience.

“I’m a big horror movie fan,” Panettiere said. “I used to love to scare myself half to death, as long as I had my parent’s room to run into.”

Sawyer, like Panetierre, has a passion for scary movies.

“They are like an adrenaline rush,” Sawyer said. “It’s fun to watch other people be scared when you’re not in the same situation.”

Acting in this film was natural for Panetteire, as she said her blood curdling scream came easily.

“It’s cumulative,” Panetierre said, “I learned at a very young age to scream at the top of my lungs.”

But even with her love of horror, Panettiere admits she would never have as much courage as her character shows throughout the film.

“I would run so far out of that house,” Panetteire said. “I would be down those stairs in a second asking for police.”

As for new twists and turns in the film, Panettiere refuses to give any clues, but teased by saying, “virgins usually die.”

“My character is not a virgin,” Panetierre said, “so does that mean I’m not going to live as long? You’ll just have to wait to find out.”