While the rebooted “Scream” franchise may be floundering, the writers and directors of the fifth and sixth “Scream” films are forging a new path thanks to a partnership with production company MRC.
Radio Silence directing team Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, and Chad Villella, plus screenwriter James Vanderbilt’s Project X Entertainment banner (co-founded with William Sherak and Paul Neinstein), have announced a production and financing pact to make two to three genre films a year with MRC. Both Radio Silence and Vanderbilt had stepped away from the “Scream” franchise after the sixth installment and were not attached to the seventh film, which currently does not have a director after Christopher Landon exited following the cast shakeups.
The new collaboration will focus on horror and thriller films and encompass a range of up-and-coming and established writers and directors in the genre space. MRC is the studio most recently behind “Saltburn,” “American Fiction,” “Fair Play,” “Poker Face,” “The Blackening,” and “Knives Out.” The studio thus far has been nominated for 115 Emmy Awards, 38 Golden Globe Awards, and 12 Academy Awards, with its films grossing more than $6 billion in worldwide box office.
Radio Silence and Project X cofounder Vanderbilt previously collaborated on “Ready or Not,” “Scream,” “Scream VI,” and Universal’s upcoming film “Abigail.”
“To be able to formalize our alliance with Project X and work with a studio in MRC that champions original and fresh films couldn’t be more exciting to us as storytellers,” Radio Silence members Chad Villella, Tyler Gillett, and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin said in a joint statement. “We look forward to championing original movies for a global horror and thriller audience and hope to create new franchises for genre enthusiasts for years to come.”
Project X Entertainment founders James Vanderbilt, William Sherak, and Paul Neinstein added, “Our partnership with Radio Silence, combined with MRC’s stellar track-record, innovative deal-making and creative and production support, will enable us to explore new horizons in this type of filmmaking and become a one-stop shop for creative talent in this space. Not only have we been fortunate to work together on a number of films, but we have become a family who enjoys making movies together in a business which otherwise likes to throw you a challenge at every turn.”
The partnership will facilitate the development and production of projects that prioritize creativity and storytelling over larger budgets, making the business accessible to both rising and established filmmakers. Project X, Radio Silence, and MRC are currently sourcing and developing projects to kickstart the initiative and will be announcing the initial slate of films soon.
Project X Entertainment is an independent production company that develops and produces feature-length films as well as episodic programming and docuseries for streaming, broadcast, cable television and other distribution platforms. The company was behind “Ambulance” and “The Night Agent,” and is in development on FOX animated series “Bloom County.” Screenwriter Vanderbilt also previously penned “Zodiac” and “The Amazing Spider-Man” in addition to the “Scream” requel movies.
Meanwhile, Radio Silence is in production on an untitled monster thriller for Universal Pictures and is continuing the “V/H/S” franchise.
MRC’s co-presidents of film Brye Adler and Jonathan Golfman added, “We are thrilled and honored to join forces with these two companies who share a love of fun and distinctive films. It is rare to find partners so like-minded and entrepreneurial and we are excited to make a bunch of movies together!”
IndieWire parent company PMC and MRC operate in a joint venture. Check out IndieWire’s interview with the MRC founders here.
