Query: Scream has some level of success.

Relevant passages:
Scream (1996 film) <=SEP=> Scream is a 1996 American slasher film written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven . The film stars David Arquette , Neve Campbell , Courteney Cox , Matthew Lillard , Rose McGowan , Skeet Ulrich , and Drew Barrymore . Released on December 20 , 1996 , Scream follows the character of Sidney Prescott ( Campbell ) , a high school student in the fictional town of Woodsboro , California , who becomes the target of a mysterious killer known as Ghostface . The film combined black comedy and `` whodunit '' mystery with the violence of the slasher genre to satirize the clichés of the horror film genre popularized in films such as Halloween and Friday the 13th . The film was considered unique at the time of its release for featuring characters who were aware of real world horror films and openly discussed the clichés that Scream attempted to subvert .   Based partly on the real life case of the Gainesville Ripper , Scream was inspired by Williamson 's passion for horror films , especially Halloween ( 1978 ) . The script , originally titled Scary Movie , was bought by Dimension Films and was retitled by the Weinstein Brothers just before filming was complete . The production faced censorship issues with the Motion Picture Association of America and obstacles from locals while filming on location . The film went on to financial and critical acclaim , earning $ 173 million worldwide , and became the highest-grossing slasher film in the US in unadjusted dollars . It received several awards and award nominations . The soundtrack by Marco Beltrami was also acclaimed , and was cited as '' -LSB- one -RSB- of the most intriguing horror scores composed in years . '' It has since earned `` cult status . '' Scream marked a change in the genre as it cast already-established and successful actors , which was considered to have helped it find a wider audience , including a significant female viewership .   Scream was credited with revitalizing the horror genre in the 1990s , which was considered to be almost dead following an influx of direct-to-video titles and numerous sequels to established horror franchises of the 1970s and 1980s . These sequels drew decreasing financial and critical success , as they exploited clichés upon which films in the genre had become reliant . Screams success spawned a series of sequels , though only Scream 2 , released in 1997 , achieved a level of commercial and critical success equal to the original film . In the years following the release of Scream , the film was accused of inspiring and even inducing violent crimes and murders .

Scream (franchise) <=SEP=> Scream is an American horror franchise created by Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven . Starring Neve Campbell , Courteney Cox , and David Arquette , the film series grossed over $ 604 million in worldwide box-office receipts and consists of four motion pictures directed by Craven . The first series entry , Scream , was released on December 20 , 1996 and is currently the highest-grossing slasher film in the United States . The second entry Scream 2 was released on December 12 , 1997 followed by a third installment , Scream 3 , released February 4 , 2000 . Eleven years after the previous film , Scream 4 was released on April 15 , 2011 . The films follow Sidney Prescott , and her war against a succession of murderers who adopt the guise of Ghostface to stalk and torment their victims . Sidney receives support in the films from town deputy Dewey Riley , reporter Gale Weathers , and film-geek Randy Meeks . A tv spin off of the series was released by MTV on June 30 , 2015 . The series follows different characters and new storylines , not connected to the film series .   Williamson 's original script was bought by Miramax and developed under the Dimension Films label by Bob and Harvey Weinstein , who recruited Craven to direct , who in turn recruited composer Marco Beltrami to score the film . This team went on to be involved in each film in the series though Williamson was forced to take a smaller role for Scream 3 , writing only a brief plot outline due to his commitments to other projects , with Ehren Kruger replacing him as screenwriter . The series ' violence resulted in conflicts with the Motion Picture Association of America and news media concerning censorship resulting in a reduction of violence and gore in Scream 3 when the Columbine High School massacre brought increased focus on the media 's influence on society . Scream became notable for its use of established and recognizable actors which was uncommon for horror films at the time , yet has since become common in part due to Scream 's success .   The series , particularly the first two films , has received significant critical acclaim . Scream has been credited with revitalizing the horror genre in the late 90s by combining a traditional slasher film with humor , awareness of horror film cliché and a clever plot . Scream was one of the highest-grossing films of 1996 and became , and remains , the highest grossing slasher film in the world . Its success was matched by Scream 2 which not only broke box-office records of the time , but was also argued by some critics to actually be superior to the original . Scream 3 fared worse than its predecessors , both critically and financially , with critics commenting that it had become the type of horror film it originally parodied in Scream . It did , however , receive some positive response , with claims that it was the perfect end to the trilogy . The film series has been the recipient of several awards including a Saturn Award for Best Actress and MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance for Campbell and Best Horror Film for Scream .