'Scream 5': David Arquette 'thrilled' to return as Dewey Riley

David Arquette has signed up for the upcoming Scream relaunch. The 48-year-old actor will be returning in the fifth film in the horror franchise as Dewey Riley, the lawman who appeared in the first four Scream films.

"I am thrilled to be playing Dewey again and to reunite with my Scream family, old and new," Arquette told The Hollywood Reporter. "Scream has been such a big part of my life, and for both the fans and myself, I look forward to honouring Wes Craven’s legacy."

Craven, who directed the first four films, died in 2015.

Also returning is Kevin Williamson, the screenwriter who started the franchise. He’s executive producing this new take from Ready or Not directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, from filmmaking collective Radio Silence.

Writing are James Vanderbilt (Murder Mystery, Zodiac), and Guy Busick (Ready or Not).

Arquette looks set to join original star Neve Campbell for the film which is scheduled to shoot in Wilmington, North Carolina later this year once shooting protocols are set in place. Campbell recently revealed she’d been in talks to return as Sidney Prescott.

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It was originally thought that Scream 5 would be a reboot, but these two additions to the cast confirm it will continue the story of the Ghostface slasher series.

"It's impossible to fully express how much Wes Craven's work and the Scream movies in particular mean to us as fans and have influenced us as storytellers," said Radio Silence in a statement.

"Kevin Williamson's incredible stories have entertained and inspired us for decades and we're insanely honoured to have the opportunity to be a part of the cinematic world Wes and Kevin so brilliantly created together. Jamie and Guy's amazing script does that legacy justice and we're so excited to bring the next chapter of Scream to life."

There has been four films in the series to date Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), Scream 3 (2000), and Scream 4 (2011). A TV series also ran for three seasons from 2015-2019.