Rumors of a screenwriter shuffle are spreading furiously throughout the net. Apparently, screenwriter Ehren Kruger has replaced Kevin Williamson and some troublesome rewrites have ensued, causing members of the cast, such as Hayden Panettiere, to get frustrated. The problem is that these rumors are being reported as fact, despite the original article, from Zap2It, having a gigantic question mark in the title.

Shock Til You Drop is reporting that Kruger has, in deed, started working on Scream 4, but Kevin Williamson hasn’t entirely left the project.

Update 9:13am Pacific: Okay, here’s what a source close to the production called to tell me this morning. Yes, Ehren Kruger has been brought in to do a bit of polishing. But no, Williamson isn’t “out” by any means. As you know, he’s also working hard on the second season of Vampire Diaries for the CW. While he’s away fulfilling his commitments on that show, the production called upon Kruger to assist on the script. Some chatter about Lauren Graham’s departure has made it sound like she wasn’t thrilled with the sequel, however, it was another case of production scheduling and she’s off to work on Parenthood.

Either way, I find Kruger’s presence somewhat troublesome. While I enjoyed his work on a superficial level in The Ring, he’s also partially responsible for such travesties as Reindeer Games and Transformers 2. He also was the sole writer on Scream 3, which was an uneven mess that made for a goofy experience. Not that I had the up-most confidence in the Scream 4 prior to this news. But I really enjoy the first two films, and I wouldn’t mind seeing another film that lives up to its early predecessors.

Tags: Ehren Kruger, Kevin Williamson, Scream 4