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Kevin Williamson

Kevin Williamson

Writer and producer, also director · Born March 14, 1965 (61) · New Bern, North Carolina, USA

Kevin Meade Williamson (born March 14, 1965) is an American screenwriter and director, best known for creating the Scream franchise. In 1995, and unhappy with his futile attempts to get an acting career off the ground, Williamson wrote a self-referential comedy horror script titled Scary Movie, which was subsequently bought by Miramax Films and put into production under filmmaker Wes Craven. Retitled Scream, the movie was a sleeper smash upon release in 1996 and was credited with reviving the horror genre as a commercial money-maker. It has, as of 2026, spawned six sequels and a TV spin-off series. The success of Scream led to Williamson becoming one of the most in-demand screenwriters of the era, with some of his biggest hits including the thriller I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), the alien invasion film The Faculty (1998), and the TV drama Dawson’s Creek (1998), which was loosely inspired by his own coming-of-age and ran for six seasons. He also made his directorial debut with the black comedy Teaching Mrs Tingle in 1999. Williamson’s other credits include the TV series The Vampire Diaries (2009) and The Following (2013), as well as the werewolf horror film Cursed (2005). In 2026, Williamson returned to the world of Scream – having only served as a producer on the third, fifth and sixth entries in the franchise – as the co-writer and director of Scream 7.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 14, 1965 (61)
From
New Bern, North Carolina, USA
Works as
Writer and producer, also director
Titles
22 on MovieCove · 32 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 35% in 30 days

What are Kevin Williamson's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Self.

Genres

Horror13 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Horror movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 18th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
38%
Self
17%
Morality
16%
Bonds
15%
Society
11%
Power
3%
Trauma8 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 4 · Dark 8

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 5 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 1

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 2 · Intense 13

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 5

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 0 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 5

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 14 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
16
Dread
10
Thrilling
9
Absurd
6
Melancholic
4
Other
2

How their films linger

Fun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 8 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet11
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Kevin Williamson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 22 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Paramount+ (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Kevin Williamson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

32 credits, 22 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Scream 7(2026)

    Director · Characters · Executive Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Waterfront(2025)

    Show 8 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • The Exorcism(2024)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Scream VI(2023)

    Characters · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Sick(2022)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Scream(2022)

    Characters · Executive Producer · as Party Guest (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Tell Me a Story(2018)

    Show 20 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • Time After Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Show 5 episodes · Creator · Writer

  • Scream: The TV Series(2015)

    Show 1 episode · Story

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • The Originals: The Awakening (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show Creator

  • Stalker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 20 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer

  • The Following(2013)

    Show 45 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Story · Teleplay · Writer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • The Secret Circle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 22 episodes · Producer · Writer

  • Scream 4(2011)

    Characters · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Vampire Diaries(2009)

    Show 171 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Teleplay · Writer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • Hidden Palms(2007)

    Show 8 episodes · Creator · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows

  • Venom(2005)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Cursed(2005)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Glory Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 9 episodes · Creator · Producer · Writer

  • Scream 3(2000)

    Characters · Producer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Wasteland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 2 episodes · Creator · Writer

  • Teaching Mrs. Tingle(1999)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Faculty(1998)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Halloween H20: 20 Years Later(1998)

    Co-Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Unmasking the Horror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Actor

  • Dawson's Creek(1998)

    Show 128 episodes · Creator · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • Scream 2(1997)

    Characters · Executive Producer · Screenplay · as Cotton's Interviewer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • I Know What You Did Last Summer(1997)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Scream(1996)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Strip for Action (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Haker

  • Scream 8 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Characters

  • The Faculty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Original Film Writer

Career shape

A full career of 32 titles, 30 of them dated from 1995 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Scream 7 (2026)

$208M worldwide

Highest rated

Scream (1996)

Midcredits 93rd

Most popular right now

Scream 7 (2026)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting4 of 32: 2 only acting, 2 with another roleDirecting2 of 32: 0 only directing, 2 with another roleWriting26 of 32: 6 only writing, 20 with another role · typical Midcredits score50thProducing20 of 32: 3 only producing, 17 with another role · typical Midcredits score44thOther crew11 of 32: 1 only other crew, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score54th

32 titles, 20 with more than one role — writing and producing overlap on 17 of them.

By decade

1990s10 · 3 acting · 8 crew2000s6 · crew2010s8 · crew2020s6 · 1 acting · 6 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Kevin Williamson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 39th percentile, the median of all 15; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 45th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

35thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

98thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 22 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 22 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · writer, producer

Hidden Palms (2007)

79th percentile spread · 21% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Scream (1996)

Midcredits 93rd · 79% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 48/100 and the plot and story 40/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Kevin Williamson's work okay for kids?

Across up to 16 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore15 titles71–94 · median 85 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity16 titles27–49 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity14 titles63–86 · median 75 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs14 titles33–68 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense15 titles69–88 · median 82 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Kevin Williamson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Kevin Williamson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Bob Weinstein shares the most, 9.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles