These Are The Actresses Who Almost Starred In Scream

It's not unusual for an actor to pass on a role, and only if the film goes on to become a big hit will we ever hear about what might have been. One of the more recent, famous examples of that is how Emily Blunt passed on playing Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, and the role, of course, went to Scarlett Johansson. Fortunately, things worked out for both of actors as Blunt went on to star in such blockbusters as "Edge of Tomorrow" and the "Quiet Place" films, while Black Widow became a pivotal character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and catapulted Johansson into superstardom.

Thanks to her star-making role she filmed at age 6 for the 1982 classic "E.T. the Extraterrestrial," Drew Barrymore was already a well-established actor when the opportunity to work with director Wes Craven on "Scream" came long 14 years later. Barrymore was originally cast in the lead role of Sidney Prescott in screenwriter's Kevin Williamson's satirical take on the slasher horror genre, but was forced to drop out of the role five weeks before production because of scheduling conflicts (via Digital Spy).

Staying attached to the project, Barrymore took on the much smaller role of Casey Becker, which led to a genius idea. Since Barrymore was perceived star of the film who was featured front and center on the "Scream" movie poster, it was a shock to audiences that she fell victim to the Ghostface killer in the opening scene. As such, there was no telling what character would be next despite the stature of the actor playing them.

However, when Barrymore dropped out of the lead role in "Scream," it created another quandary: Craven would have to find another actor to play Sidney in short order.