---
name: "Kevin Williamson"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/kevin-williamson"
fi1m_id: "kevin-williamson"
imdb_id: "nm0932078"
tmdb_id: 26458
wikidata_id: "Q360642"
roles: ["Writer","Producer","Director"]
born: "14 March 1965"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 8
average_fi1m_score: 67
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-09-23T10:48:05.093227+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Kevin Williamson

## Identity

Kevin Williamson

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/kevin-williamson
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** kevin-williamson
- **IMDb ID:** nm0932078
- **TMDB ID:** 26458
- **Wikidata ID:** Q360642
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Williamson_(screenwriter), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q360642, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0932078/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/26458

Writer and producer. Born 14 March 1965 in New Bern, North Carolina, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer, Producer, Director
- **Born:** 14 March 1965, New Bern, North Carolina, USA
- **Active:** 1996–present
- **Also known as:** Kevin Meade Williamson
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 8: 1 acting, 1 directing, 6 writing
- **Frequently works with:** [Neve Campbell](https://film.one/person/neve-campbell.md), [Courteney Cox](https://film.one/person/courteney-cox.md), [David Arquette](https://film.one/person/david-arquette.md), [Wes Craven](https://film.one/person/wes-craven.md), [Cathy Konrad](https://film.one/person/cathy-konrad.md), [Marianne Maddalena](https://film.one/person/marianne-maddalena.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 67, as writer, over 6 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 80 (2), 2000s 62 (2), 2010s 60 (1), 2020s 60 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 67 to 64 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Horror 5, Mystery 4, Crime 2, Drama 1, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 1, Thriller 1
- **Screen time:** 10 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $740m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Williamson_(screenwriter), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q360642, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0932078/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/26458

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*Scream 4*](https://film.one/film/scream-4.md) (60), [*Scream 3*](https://film.one/film/scream-3.md) (52), [*Scream 7*](https://film.one/film/scream-7.md) (48)
- **Hulu:** [*Scream*](https://film.one/film/scream.md) (86), [*Scream 2*](https://film.one/film/scream-2.md) (74)
- **HBO Max:** [*The Vampire Diaries*](https://film.one/tv/the-vampire-diaries.md) (71)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Kevin Williamson

> Williamson's trick, in *Scream* (1996), was to let the victims know the rules of the film they were in. It made one sharp horror film, three sequels of his own, and thirty years on he is still at it with less to say each time.

The phone rings and the person who answers it knows what the call means. That is Kevin Williamson's contribution to the slasher, and it is a real one. In *Scream* (1996) the teenagers have seen the same horror films as the audience, discuss the conventions out loud, and then get into the same trouble anyway. Wes Craven directed it, and the film works because he takes the danger as seriously as Williamson takes the joke. It frightened us then and it frightens us now, because the people explaining the rules are the same people who bleed when the rules are applied.

"Horror films had died a little bit before Scream came around," Williamson has said. "That was one of the reasons I wrote it." He is right about the revival, and the revival is what everyone remembers. The rest of the decade was variations. *Scream 2* (1997) followed within a year, *The Faculty* (1998) took the same knowing teenagers into an alien-invasion high school, and *Teaching Mrs. Tingle* (1999), his first film as director, grew from the first script he had sold. Then he went to television, where the talking was the point: *Dawson's Creek* (1998–2003), which drew on his own adolescence, and later *The Vampire Diaries* (2009–2017) with Julie Plec.

The reservation was there from the start. Even in *Scream* the script lingers over conventions the audience has already spotted, and the pleasure of recognition wears thin. The jokes also give us a comfortable distance from the people being threatened, particularly when they sound like commentary on the screenplay. It took Craven to hold that in check, and he did it across three films with Williamson. Without him the method turns on itself: a film built out of references to other films can start to look like nothing but the references, which was the charge laid against *The Faculty*, and *Cursed* (2005) went through delays and re-shoots and was received poorly.

*Scream 4* (2011) brought him back to the series, and *Scream 7* (2026) puts him behind the camera on a Scream for the first time, from a script written with Guy Busick. It is watchable and it is not stupid, and it is the first entry in the series with almost nothing to say about horror films, which for this writer is the one thing that ought not to be missing. Neve Campbell carries it. She plays Sidney as a woman who has managed fear for so long that it has become habit, checking doors, choosing where to sit, and Williamson gives her room to do it without a speech. We were gladder to see her and Courteney Cox than we expected, and we noticed that our gladness was doing work the script should have done.

So the recommendation is easy. Watch *Scream* with someone who has never seen it and let Craven do the frightening. Treat the later entries as reunions, because that is what they are, and go in for Campbell rather than for the joke.

## Biography

Kevin Williamson is an American screenwriter and director. Born on 14 March 1965 in New Bern, North Carolina, he wrote the screenplay for the 1996 slasher film *Scream*, which launched the franchise. He also wrote *Scream 2* (1997) and *Scream 4* (2011).

His other screenwriting credits include *I Know What You Did Last Summer* (1997), *The Faculty* (1998) and the television series *Dawson's Creek* (1998–2003) and *The Vampire Diaries* (2009–2017). He made his directorial debut with *Teaching Mrs. Tingle* (1999) and created the series *The Following* (2013–2015).

In 2026, Williamson returned to the *Scream* franchise as co-writer (with Guy Busick) and director of *Scream 7*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (8)

### Performed in (1)

- *Scream 2* (1997), Fi1m 74, as Cotton's Interviewer — [page](https://film.one/film/scream-2.md)

### Directed (1)

- *Scream 7* (2026), Fi1m 48, Director, Screenplay, Executive Producer, Characters — [page](https://film.one/film/scream-7.md)

### Wrote (6) — the average rests on these

- *Scream VI* (2023), Fi1m 65, Characters, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/scream-vi.md)
- *Scream* (2022), Fi1m 66, as Party Guest (voice) (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/scream-2022.md)
- *Scream 4* (2011), Fi1m 60, Characters, Producer, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/scream-4.md)
- *The Vampire Diaries* (2009), Fi1m 71, Teleplay, Writer, Creator — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-vampire-diaries.md)
- *Scream 3* (2000), Fi1m 52, Producer, Characters — [page](https://film.one/film/scream-3.md)
- *Scream* (1996), Fi1m 86, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/scream.md)

## Complete filmography (32)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Scream 7* (2026), Executive Producer, Characters, Director, Screenplay — Fi1m 48, [page](https://film.one/film/scream-7.md)
- *The Waterfront* (2025), series, Executive Producer, Writer, Creator
- *The Exorcism* (2024), Producer
- *Scream VI* (2023), Executive Producer, Characters — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/scream-vi.md)
- *Sick* (2022), Producer, Writer
- *Scream* (2022), as Party Guest (voice) (uncredited) · Characters, Executive Producer — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/scream-2022.md)
- *Tell Me a Story* (2018), series, Writer, Executive Producer, Creator
- *Time After Time* (2017), series, Writer, Creator
- *Scream: The TV Series* (2015), series, Story
- *The Originals: The Awakening* (2014), series, Creator
- *Stalker* (2014), series, Writer, Executive Producer, Creator
- *The Following* (2013), series, Writer, Teleplay, Executive Producer, Story, Creator
- *The Secret Circle* (2011), series, Producer, Writer
- *Scream 4* (2011), Characters, Screenplay, Producer — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/scream-4.md)
- *The Vampire Diaries* (2009), series, Writer, Executive Producer, Teleplay, Creator — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-vampire-diaries.md)
- *Hidden Palms* (2007), series, Writer, Producer, Creator
- *Venom* (2005), Producer
- *Cursed* (2005), Producer, Screenplay
- *Glory Days* (2002), series, Producer, Writer, Creator
- *Scream 3* (2000), Characters, Producer — Fi1m 52, [page](https://film.one/film/scream-3.md)
- *Wasteland* (1999), series, Writer, Creator
- *Teaching Mrs. Tingle* (1999), Director, Writer
- *The Faculty* (1998), Screenplay
- *Halloween H20: 20 Years Later* (1998), Co-Executive Producer
- *Unmasking the Horror* (1998), Actor
- *Dawson's Creek* (1998), series, Writer, Producer, Creator
- *Scream 2* (1997), as Cotton's Interviewer · Screenplay, Characters, Executive Producer — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/scream-2.md)
- *I Know What You Did Last Summer* (1997), Screenplay
- *Scream* (1996), Screenplay — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/scream.md)
- *Strip for Action* (1995), as Haker
- *The Faculty*, Original Film Writer
- *Scream 8*, Characters

## Gallery

- ![Kevin Williamson](https://film.one/media/person/7070/gallery-6e517fe7068f.jpg) Kevin Williamson — https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Kevin_Williamson_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg/1280px-Kevin_Williamson_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Ian Somerhalder, Kevin Williamson & Michael Trevino (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/7070/gallery-a6653c86b873.jpg) Ian Somerhalder, Kevin Williamson & Michael Trevino (2010) — Rach from Tadcaster, York, England, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Flickr_-_vagueonthehow_-_Ian_Somerhalder%2C_Kevin_Williamson_%5E_Michael_Trevino.jpg/1280px-Flickr_-_vagueonthehow_-_Ian_Somerhalder%2C_Kevin_Williamson_%5E_Michael_Trevino.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Ian Somerhalder, Kevin Williamson & Michael Trevino (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/7070/gallery-7361eb36eaf5.jpg) Ian Somerhalder, Kevin Williamson & Michael Trevino (2010) — Rach from Tadcaster, York, England, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Flickr_-_vagueonthehow_-_Ian_Somerhalder%2C_Kevin_Williamson_%5E_Michael_Trevino_%281%29.jpg/1280px-Flickr_-_vagueonthehow_-_Ian_Somerhalder%2C_Kevin_Williamson_%5E_Michael_Trevino_%281%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Ian Somerhalder, Kevin Williamson & Michael Trevino (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/7070/gallery-eb01c0f4f1b1.jpg) Ian Somerhalder, Kevin Williamson & Michael Trevino (2010) — Rach from Tadcaster, York, England, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Flickr_-_vagueonthehow_-_Ian_Somerhalder%2C_Kevin_Williamson_%5E_Michael_Trevino_%282%29.jpg/1280px-Flickr_-_vagueonthehow_-_Ian_Somerhalder%2C_Kevin_Williamson_%5E_Michael_Trevino_%282%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Kevin Williamson](https://film.one/media/person/7070/gallery-8154f60876f5.jpg) Kevin Williamson — Image via TMDB
- ![Kevin Williamson](https://film.one/media/person/7070/gallery-001e08f442d0.jpg) Kevin Williamson — Image via TMDB
- ![Ian Somerhalder, Kevin Williamson & Michael Trevino (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/7070/gallery-061c3cadf528.jpg) Ian Somerhalder, Kevin Williamson & Michael Trevino (2010) — Rach from Tadcaster, York, England, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Flickr_-_vagueonthehow_-_Ian_Somerhalder%2C_Kevin_Williamson_%5E_Michael_Trevino_%283%29.jpg/1280px-Flickr_-_vagueonthehow_-_Ian_Somerhalder%2C_Kevin_Williamson_%5E_Michael_Trevino_%283%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Ian Somerhalder, Kevin Williamson & Michael Trevino (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/7070/gallery-c676a0496a6d.jpg) Ian Somerhalder, Kevin Williamson & Michael Trevino (2010) — Rach from Tadcaster, York, England, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Flickr_-_vagueonthehow_-_Ian_Somerhalder%2C_Kevin_Williamson_%5E_Michael_Trevino_%284%29.jpg/1280px-Flickr_-_vagueonthehow_-_Ian_Somerhalder%2C_Kevin_Williamson_%5E_Michael_Trevino_%284%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Other awards — 2 won

- Saturn Awards 1998: Best Writing (won), for *Scream*
- Saturn Awards 1997: Best Writing (won), for *Scream*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/kevin-williamson