Will Ashley Greene, Hayden Panettiere join 'Scream 4'? (exclusive)

Lake Bell, left, Ashley Greene, Hayden Panettiere and Rory Culkin

By Zorianna Kit and Borys Kit

Dimension is taking the first steps to casting “Scream 4,” which is heading toward a July start date.

Lake Bell is in negotiations to join the franchise, and offers are out to “Twilight” actress Ashley Greene, “Heroes” star Hayden Panettiere and Rory Culkin (“Twelve”) for key starring roles.

“Scream 4” reunites Wes Craven with Kevin Williamson, who kicked off a horror- movie revival with his “Scream” script in 1996. The story brings back original cast members Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courteney Cox, though the new flick is seen as a passing of the baton to a new generation of slasher victims, with Williamson already under contract to write a fifth installment.

If deals are concluded, Greene would play Campbell’s cousin Jill, essentially the heroine of the movie, and Panettiere would play her best friend, a nerdy film geek. Culkin would play a potential love interest for Jill.

Bell is negotiating to play a police officer who knew Sidney (Campbell) from high school.

Casting is proceeding slowly because Craven and Dimension are not sending the script to agencies in order to protect its secrecy. With only character descriptions, actors are having a difficult time deciding whether certain roles are for them. Reps for the actors declined comment.

Craven, Williamson and Iya Labunka are producing the feature, which is slated for an April 15 release. Original producer Cathy Konrad is not aboard the production and is suing the Weinsteins, alleging that she was cut out of “Scream 4.”

The film will shoot in incentive-rich Michigan. The original was shot in Santa Rosa, Calif.

Bell, repped by UTA and Joannie Burstein, most recently was onscreen in “It’s Complicated.” She voices a role in “Shrek Forever After,” which bows today, and stars in the upcoming features “A Good Old Fashioned Orgy” and “Little Murder.”

Comments

[melardenio]

I love hayden.. I'm going to wait for this movie.

farmville bot

[m3i zero]

Yeah, i love to watch them. As we know according to The Hollywood Reporter Ashley Greene is in negotiations to sign onto Scream 4. It seems really very interesting and i think it will be hit. Both are very intelligent and i love them both. They had given their best in many many movies.

[Haley]

Hello no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Horrible actors that would bring the movie down, i telling you now shitty reviews in the future if this casting is true.

[mario]

I agree. I am not liking this lineup at all.

[james]

Please change the release date to December where it has been most successful. Opening in April sucks because that's when college students have finals and that's their target audience.

[max1099]

Hayden?? playing a geek?
I really can't picture that...

[Maria]

Nice to know black actors are once again...non-exsistent in this genre!!!! Way to go Dimension. Or, is THR just not mentioning the token black actor? For shame. :(

[lestthevamp]

I'm guessing the Culkin will play the movie's villain.

[electronic cigarette]

the fourth one looks like a man

[executive training]

So it is already decided that there will be Scream 4??? Don't get me wrong but how can anybody make the fourth part of a film that was bad even in the first part...

[facelift]

Cast progressing slowly due Craven and size is not sent the script to organizations to protect their privacy. Opening in April because it stinks is when students have finals, and it is their audience.

[coach bags 2010]

scream 4 are very pretty.

[Vimax]

I think I would be choose Hayden for my wife

[lastlonger]

the fourth one looks like a man

[pills]

they are really hot!

[hollister clothing]

Notice that the Chinese know how to do a stimulus package, while no one in power seems to know how to do a stimulus package here in the US.