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.
