David Arquette & Courteney Cox’s Daughter Finally Watched The Scream Movies & Had A Totally “Weird” Reaction

Scream

star David Arquette shares his daughter’s reaction to watching some of the films for the first time. After the success of the first Wes Craven movie in 1996, the slasher franchise returned for five sequels, the most recent of which, Scream 6, was released in 2023. Arquette made his debut as police officer Dewey Riley in the first Scream alongside Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers, with the two actors eventually getting married in 1999. Ghostface may have killed Dewey in the 2022 legacy sequel, but Arquette is now set to return in the upcoming Scream 7 with Cox.

During a recent appearance at 90s Con (via People), Arquette reveals that he watched the first Scream with his daughter, Coco, 20, several years ago. According to the Dewey actor, she wasn’t a fan:

“I tried to watch Scream with Coco during COVID. She’s like, ‘Dad, this is just weird.’ I was like, ‘I know.’ ”

Coco’s feelings about the franchise changed, however, after she went to the theater to watch 2022’s Scream, which was met with a positive reception from audiences and critics alike:

“She went to one of the screenings and she saw all the fan response and she just was sweet. She was like, ‘Aww, they love you guys.'”

What This Means For Scream

2022’s Scream Brought The Franchise Back From The Dead

The first Scream movie was a surprise hit, winning over audiences and critics for its clever subversion of horror movie tropes and for its memorable characters, which included Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott. The 1997 sequel continued the first movie’s success, earning positive reviews and nearly matching its $173 million box office haul. Scream 3 (2000), however, experienced a dip both critically and commercially, as seen in the chart below, and Scream 4 (2011) still ranks as the lowest-grossing entry in the franchise.

The franchise lay dormant for 11 years after the lackluster Scream 4 reception, and it wasn’t really clear if 2022’s legacy sequel from directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin was going to work. This film, however, was a hit, rejuvenating the franchise by bringing back legacy characters like Sidney, Gale, and Dewey alongside newcomers like sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega) Carpenter, all with a smart subversion of its genre. Scream 6 reviews ended up being positive as well, and it now ranks as one of the highest-grossing entries in the saga.

Our Take On Arquette’s Scream Story

Coco’s Reaction Is Understandable

Scream is a fairly non-traditional horror movie, with some quirky comedy included alongside the shocking and bloody kills. This alone will mean that it’s not for everyone, but the fact that Coco’s father is in the movie and his character is romantically interested in her real-life mother’s character is an added element of weirdness that could be understandably hard for Coco get past. This weirdness was probably compounded by the fact that Dewey and Gale eventually separate, just as Arquette and Cox did in real life.

Related

How Dewey Riley Could Return In Scream 7

Scream 5 proved how serious it was about breaking the rules when it killed off Dewey Riley. However, he might be able to return in Scream 7.

2022’s Scream, however, seemed to change Coco’s perspective somewhat, and it’s interesting that this is also the film that injected fresh life into the franchise after 11 years away. This is also the film that features a fairly graphic Dewey death scene, and it could be odd for someone to watch one of their parents go through this, even though they’re obviously playing a fictional character. With Dewey set to return in the upcoming Scream movie, Coco will evidently have another chance to watch her father in action in the slasher franchise in the future.

Source: 90s Con (via People)

Scream

Cast

Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Skeet Ulrich, Jamie Kennedy, Liev Schreiber, Heather Matarazzo, Hayden Panettiere, Marley Shelton, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Roger Jackson

Expand