Horror and suspense cinema often find inspiration in the darkest corners of reality. From Psycho (1960) to Scream (1996), some of the genre’s most iconic works trace their origins to real-life crimes. Alfred Hitchcock, for instance, channeled the macabre infamy of serial killer Ed Gein to shape Norman Bates. Gein’s twisted legacy also influenced Leatherface (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 1974) and Buffalo Bill (The Silence of the Lambs, 1991).
Now, Kevin Williamson continues this trend with The Following, his upcoming TV series debuting January 21 on Fox. Like his breakthrough creation, Scream, the series draws heavily on the case of The Gainesville Ripper, whose 1990 murder spree haunted Florida and the nation.
Williamson’s Scream owes its genesis to a chilling night of inspiration. He recounted:
“I was watching this Barbara Walters special on the Gainesville murders, and I was getting so spooked. During the commercial break, I heard a noise… I went into the living room and a window was open. And I’d been in this house for two days. I’d never noticed the window open. So I got really scared. I went to the kitchen, got a butcher knife, got the mobile phone. I called a buddy of mine.”
That buddy, David Blanchard, teased Williamson about classic horror films—much like Selma Blair and Sarah Michelle Gellar’s playful banter in Scream 2. The conversation lingered in his mind, leading to nightmares that eventually birthed the unforgettable opening scene of Scream.
Just as Scream’s Ghostface killers reflected the fear sparked by real events, The Following channels Williamson’s fascination with the connections between media, violence, and fame. The show introduces Joe Carroll (James Purefoy), a serial killer who inspires a cult of like-minded individuals.
In a meta twist, Fox has promoted The Following with a faux documentary on Joe Carroll, blending fiction and reality in a chillingly believable way—just as Scream did with the Stab movies and Gale Weathers’ true-crime books.
Williamson’s work repeatedly explores how art, media, and real life influence each other, for better or worse. From Scream to The Following, the interplay of fiction and reality remains central to his storytelling.
Don’t miss The Following when it premieres Monday, January 21, at 9/8c on Fox.
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