In 1996, the horror genre experienced a significant transformation with the release of Wes Craven’s groundbreaking film Scream. This iconic horror movie not only revitalized the genre but also seamlessly blended elements of horror and comedy, leaving a memorable impact and a lasting legacy that resonates today. Even decades after its debut, Scream remains one of the most cherished and critically acclaimed horror films in cinematic history. Its influence can be observed throughout the genre, inspiring countless filmmakers and writers. The film has been extensively analyzed, from its innovative twist of a double killer reveal to the emergence of the trailblazing final girl, Sidney Prescott, played by Neve Campbell. Yet, there are still surprising details that continue to astound fans, one of which is cleverly hidden until the very end. The journey of bringing this film to life was fraught with challenges, and the filmmakers ensured that one particularly petty moment would remain a part of its legacy through the end credits.

Discover How ‘Scream’s End Credits Playfully Critique a Local School Board

Scream is set in the fictional town of Woodsboro, where a masked killer known as Ghostface (voiced by Roger L. Jackson) terrorizes local teenagers. Much of the film unfolds within the high school environment, prompting the need for a suitable location to represent Woodsboro High. The production team chose Santa Rosa High School as their filming site, but the experience was far from smooth. The filmmakers faced unexpected challenges, which culminated in the inclusion of a cheeky credit that reads, “No thanks whatsoever to the Santa Rosa City School District Governing Board.” What led to this unusual tribute? What actions by the Santa Rosa City School District prompted such a snarky acknowledgment?

In an insightful interview with LA Times, Scream’s executive producer Marianne Maddalena candidly revealed that the school district reneged on their initial agreement to allow filming on their premises.

“We made a decision to go to Santa Rosa because the high school was perfect for our movie. We created a shooting schedule for when they told us it would be the best time to shoot in the school. When we got up there they changed their minds. I think basically someone didn’t like the script.”

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“Wes Craven did a great job of making us all feel validated.”

Board president Frank Pugh commented that the filmmakers did not complete the necessary paperwork for filming at the school. “We have 1,700 kids that need an education. The filmmakers want to shut down wings, shut down the cafeteria. Any reasonable person knows that there’s paperwork that needs to be worked out.” However, by the time the production team managed to finalize the required documents, the local community had become aware of the film’s content, leading to significant pushback from the townsfolk.

Approximately 800 individuals attended the school board meeting to discuss the potential filming, which further complicated the crew’s situation. “The board can’t really make decisions based on content issues of the film,” Pugh explained. “Instead, the board was interested in how this shooting would disrupt the campus climate.” Ultimately, it was concluded that Scream’s filming schedule would be too disruptive, especially since most scenes were to be filmed during finals week.

How ‘Scream’ Successfully Secured a New Filming Location at the Last Minute

Following the complications with Santa Rosa High School, Scream was ultimately filmed at the Sonoma Community Center, a former elementary school. While this may seem like a minor adjustment, the location change necessitated several scenes to be rewritten to fit the new setting. “You have so many problems in production anyway; the last thing you need at the last moment is to lose your major shooting location,” Marianne Maddalena remarked. “We felt upset about it, which is why we had the credit. In the end, everything worked out for the best.”

Frank Pugh added that he watched Scream specifically to see if the issue was addressed in the credits and was taken aback by the boldness of the statement: “It’s always interesting to see who they thank and who they don’t. I guess that was their attempt to try and make a statement or upset the board or something… I don’t know. I guess they’ve got to do what they think they’ve got to do.”

Nearly three decades have passed since Scream was released, including the entire debacle with the Santa Rosa school district. Hopefully, it’s all water under the bridge now. Nevertheless, this quirky anecdote remains an entertaining piece of trivia for fans to look for during their next rewatch of the film.

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Scream

A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.

Release Date

December 20, 1996

Cast

Drew Barrymore, Kevin Patrick Walls, David Booth, Carla Hatley, Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich

Runtime

111 minutes

Writers

Kevin Williamson

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Scream is available to stream on Max in the U.S.

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