Meet the Cars of the 'Scream' Movie Franchise

When Wes Craven's Scream hit theaters for the first time in 1996, no one could've guessed that an entire franchise would follow, becoming one of the most popular series of movies from our times.

So much so, after the original trilogy created between 1996 and 2000, a new Scream followed 11 years later, in 2011, also under Craven's helm. Another 11 years later, Scream (marking the fifth movie of the franchise) was back in theaters, with new directors, Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin. Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courteney Cox would return, as well.

A year later, a new movie is set to premiere, minus Neve Campbell and David Arquette. That gives us an opportunity to dive in and check the cars of the Scream franchise so far.

Scream

The first movie in the series premiered in late 1996, introducing Sidney Prescott (Campbell), Dewey (Arquette), Gale Weathers (Cox), and, of course, Ghostface. It also increased the use of caller ID threefold after its release.

Moving on to the cars of the first movie, there are a few of them, with two taking the spotlight, and the first is the 1989 Ford Econoline.

The van is used as the news van and it's a key vehicle in several scenes and killings. Sure, it's not exactly a Hollywood-looking vehicle. But it wasn't supposed to be. Its main job was a functional one and it also allowed Gale to escape Ghostface in it.

Even more iconic than the Ford Econoline is Dewey Riley's 1980s Jeep Cherokee XJ, which serves as a law enforcement vehicle. Painted beige with a police light bar on the roof and additional warning lights on the radiator grille, the two-door model gets a lot of screen time in the first movie.

There are more vehicles in the background, including a Buick Century Wagon, a 1994 Ford Mustang, a Ford Thunderbird, or a Volkswagen Beetle (Type 1).

Scream 2

One year after the first movie, a second installment hit theaters. Craven returned at the helm, with Kevin Williamson as a screenwriter. The motion picture included several actors from the main cast and several additions. Sidney Prescott remained the main character.

If we look at the cars in the second movie, they are less interesting, since most of the action takes place on a college campus instead of all over the city.

But we still get a few cars to talk about. There is a red 1987 Chevrolet Caprice 9CI in a scene when Sidney and her friend Hallie go into protective custody. The same Caprice is also involved in a car chase, resulting in a crash.

Another Mustang makes a brief appearance, a 1987 Ford Mustang GT, which Ghostface hits while the detective was hanging onto the Chevy's hood.

Another Ford Econoline appears as well, also used as a news van. This time, it seems to be part of the model's fourth generation, introduced in 1992.

In the background, we also note another Chevrolet Caprice and Ford Econoline, plus a Mercury Grand Marquis.

Scream 3

The third installment of the Scream franchise, which was initially thought as a trilogy, arrived a couple of years later, in 2000. That means we got to see a change in cars, as well.

The most important car of the third movie is a 1991 Ford Explorer XLT, which Dewey drives, moving on from the first Jeep Cherokee he drove in the first film.

A 1999 Ford Crown Victoria appears as a detective car, with a silver paint job and Patrick Dempsey Mark Kincaid behind the wheel.

At the beginning of the movie, we see Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber) stuck in traffic behind the wheel of a 1999 GMC Suburban. The car also gets quite a lot of screentime, as Weary drives the SUV home after receiving a call from Ghostface threatening to kill his girlfriend, testing its every limit.

Set in Hollywood in 2000, the movie changes its tone and includes a BMW z3 and a Mercedes-Benz SL 500. In the background, we also note a Ford Econoline, another 1980s Ford Mustang, a Lincoln Navigator, a Honda Civic, and more.

Scream 4

Scream 4 arrived in theaters 11 years after the third installment, taking place ten years after the previous film. Some of the original cast return, including Sidney Prescott, again as lead character.

Scream has always been a movie that tried to give a realistic feel, and you can note that in the cars it uses, too. We get a glimpse of the Ford Econoline van again, which seems to be a staple of the entire franchise.

But it also switches to a couple of Dodge cars, including a 2006 Charger and a Durango, both used as law enforcement cars.

A few Toyotas are featured as well, including a Camry and a RAV4, and the list of less important cars include a Cadillac CTS, a Chevrolet Express, a Ford E-350, a Mini Cooper, and a Volvo XC60.

Scream (2022) aka Scream 5

In 2022, 11 years after the fourth movie, Scream was back in theaters. It did include the main trio, with new writers, directors, and newcomers.

Police cars were still the most important vehicles we see in the movie, with the most important one being a Ford Police Interceptor Utility. Moving on to a different time, a 2004 Toyota Prius broke into the scene, as well as a 1971 Dodge Charger and a Ford F-Series.

As you might have expected, we also get a glimpse of a Ford Econoline as a news van again, used for different outlets, but also as an ambulance.

Vans are a staple of the franchise, following some of the most popular American cars at the moment of their release and that remains true throughout the series. The trailer for the upcoming Scream VI, set to premiere on March 10, doesn’t show many cars, but, if we were to guess, a Ford Econoline is almost guaranteed to make a comeback. Unlike Neve Campbell.