Scream red carpet premiere in Sydney cancelled over Omicron outbreak

The red carpet event slated to take place on January 11 for the premiere of the fifth slasher film Scream in Sydney has been cancelled. In a note to the invited guests, the cancellation was announced and it was reported that the decision was made due to the tidal wave of the Omicron Covid-19 variant affecting people. 

The premiere, if it had taken place would have brought icons Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette together with other supporting cast members and filmmaker collective Radio Silence (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett). Variety also reported that the press and radio-promoted screenings, as well as the wide theatrical release of the fifth title in the hit series created by Wes Craven, will still proceed on the big screen as planned.

The fifth edition of Scream returns to the community of Woodsboro 25 years after a series of grisly murders inspired four sequels. Campbell, Cox and Arquette reprise their roles. Other cast members include Melissa Barrera, Kyle Gallner, Mason Gooding, Mikey Madison, Dylan Minnette, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Marley Shelton, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Sonia Ammar.

Campbell had earlier revealed that she was hesitant to return to the franchise, but it was a letter from Radio Silence that helped her make the decision. She told Variety, "They actually wrote me a letter and they said they basically are directors because of (the Scream) films." 

The project has original writer Kevin Williamson, Chad Villella, Gary Barber, Peter Oillataguerre, Ron Lynch, Cathy Konrad, and Marianne Maddalena as executive producers and it is slated to be released on January 14.