Bob Weinstein has confirmed to Variety that Neve Campbell has signed to return as Sidney Prescott in Dimension Films’ Scream 4, which will start production in April or May. It will be the first film of a new trilogy and Wes Craven is in talks to direct once again. Campbell is joining returning stars Courteney Cox and David Arquette.

Weinstein also said that Robert Rodriguez is writing Spy Kids 4, which he will direct in 3D. The movie will be made in partnership with Disney and will start shooting in March.

Dimension is also planning to make Halloween 3D for an October 2010 release and is remaking the cult classic Children of the Corn.

Weinstein cited plans to shoot new Hellraiser and Scanners films in 3D. Also on the slate are remakes of Short Circuit and An American Werewolf in London.

Courteney Cox is “very excited” about making Scream 4.

The former Friends actress is treating her return to the slasher movie series as a chance for her and husband David Arquette to get romantic.

“I’m very excited. It will be fun,” says Courteney. “David and I are going to do it right back on the set where we first met. It’s going to be so exciting for us in many ways.”

Courteney’s character will reflect her real-life status in Scream 4– married with a child. But the actress insists she won’t have her real daughter, Coco, join the rest of the family on set. “I wouldn’t do that to her,” she says.

Cox, 45, recently admitted the tactic for any woman over 40 looking for love is to play the field — just like her pal and former costar Jennifer Aniston.

“You’ve just got to be willing to put yourself out there,” she said. “I’m sure it’s not easy but there are people in the same situation. You’re not alone.”

Courteney Cox, who is set to star in a fourth Scream movie, elaborated on a few details that were revealed by writer Kevin Williamson a couple of days ago about the sequel, which picks up the story 10 years after the events in 2000’s Scream 3. Cox will reprise the role of TV reporter Gale Weathers.
“She has a kid now,” Cox said in a group interview Saturday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour in Pasadena, Calif., where she was promoting her ABC show Cougar Town. “She’s married to Dewey.”
Scream 3 ended with Deputy Dewey (David Arquette, Cox’s real-life husband) proposing to local newswoman-turned-true-crime guru Gale. The characters bonded during their investigation of the first Scream murders, through the campus crimes of Scream 2 and the film-within-the-film of Scream 3.

Williamson previously described Scream 4 as the beginning of a new trilogy. Cox has no trepidations about beginning another three films. “No, because [I take things] one day at a time,” she said. “But I heard the idea for Scream 4, and it’s fantastic.”The Scream series tweaked the conventions of horror movies as film-obsessed killers terrorized teens a la their favorite slashers. Nearly a decade later, Cox said that she is ready for round four. “I’m excited,” she said. “It’ll be really fun.”
With Cox and Williamson both beginning new shows this season, Williamson expects to turn in a final draft for Scream 4 during hiatus and make final deals with cast and directors after that.