# Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
**Matt Bettinelli-Olpin** (born 1978, [Oakland, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/oakland-california)) is an American director, writer, actor, and musician who co-directs horror films with Tyler Gillett as half of the filmmaking collective Radio Silence. He is known for the segment "10/31/98" in the anthology *[V/H/S](https://www.edgepedia.org/v-h-s)* (2012), the comedy-horror hit *[Ready or Not](https://www.edgepedia.org/ready-or-not-2019-film)* (2019), and the revival of the *Scream* franchise with *Scream* (2022) and *Scream VI* (2023).[1](https://popcornfinder.com/directors/matt-bettinelli-olpin)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1978, Oakland, California, USA[1](https://popcornfinder.com/directors/matt-bettinelli-olpin) |
| Background | Founding member of the punk band Link 80; co-creator of the filmmaking collectives Chad, Matt & Rob and Radio Silence[1](https://popcornfinder.com/directors/matt-bettinelli-olpin) |
| Feature debut | *V/H/S* (2012), directing the segment "10/31/98" with Radio Silence[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2366012) |
| Breakthrough | *Ready or Not* (2019), a Searchlight horror-comedy starring Samara Weaving[3](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/ready-or-not-2-here-i-come-over-the-top-horror-sequel-slices-and-dices-the-ultra-rich/) |
| Franchise work | Co-directed *Scream* (2022) and *Scream VI* (2023), taking over the series after Wes Craven's death[4](https://www.thewrap.com/scream-2022-directors-interview-radio-silence-the-last-jedi/) |
| Box office | Directed films have combined global grosses of $480.6 million per one box-office database; another aggregator lists $995 million across all roles[5](https://www.25thframe.co.uk/directors/director.php?name=Matt+Bettinelli-Olpin) • [6](https://auteurgraph.com/person/matt-bettinelli-olpin/ratings) |
| Upcoming | *Ready or Not 2: Here I Come* (2026) and a new *Mummy* film for Universal with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz[7](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/adventure-movies/the-mummy-4-release-date-cast-plot/) |
## Early career: music and online video
Before filmmaking, Bettinelli-Olpin was a founding member of the punk band Link 80.[1](https://popcornfinder.com/directors/matt-bettinelli-olpin) He moved into video through Chad, Matt & Rob, a collective with Chad Villella and Rob Polonsky that produced interactive adventure shorts such as *The Time Machine: A Chad, Matt & Rob Interactive Adventure* (2008) and *Roommate Alien Prank Goes Bad* (2008), which the trio described as filmmakers and online pranksters.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2366012) • [8](https://www.kpbs.org/news/2019/aug/09/cinema-junkie-podcast-176-radio-silences-ready-or-/)
## Radio Silence and the anthology years
Radio Silence, the collective of directors Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett with producer Chad Villella, drew industry attention with the segment "10/31/98" in the 2012 found-footage anthology *V/H/S*, on which Bettinelli-Olpin is also credited as writer, editor, producer, and actor, playing Matt in the segment.[9](https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/documents/ron2_production-notes-final_fbdbf426.pdf) • [10](https://www.allmovie.com/artist/matt-bettinelli-olpin-an51879/filmography) In an interview around the follow-up anthology *Southbound* (2015), he explained the format's appeal to the group: a 20-to-30-minute segment freed the filmmakers to try things that might not work in a feature, and let a group of collaborators develop the stories together.[11](https://www.comingsoon.net/horror/news/748502-interview-director-matt-bettinelli-olpin-going-southbound) On *Southbound*, an interlocking desert-road horror film, he is credited as one of five directors, a writer, an editor, a producer, and an actor, playing Jack.[12](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4935334/?bypassRefViewPref=1)
The collective's first feature, the pregnancy horror film *Devil's Due* (2014), was credited to Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett.[13](https://thegoodsreviews.com/review-index/directors-index/tier-3/director-radio-silence/)
## Ready or Not and the Scream revival
*Ready or Not* (2019), a Searchlight horror-comedy about a bride ([Samara Weaving](https://www.edgepedia.org/samara-weaving)) hunted by her new in-laws in a deadly game of hide-and-seek, became the collective's breakout hit.[3](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/ready-or-not-2-here-i-come-over-the-top-horror-sequel-slices-and-dices-the-ultra-rich/) • [14](https://eastmeadow.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Septstaffpicks.pdf) Bettinelli-Olpin described the film's tonal approach as a mash-up of genres the team loved, and production notes quote him explaining that the bride's dress "represents the course of the movie as a whole," starting grand and classical before it degrades along with the film's escalating chaos.[15](https://www.starburstmagazine.com/features/radio-silence-ready-not/) • [16](https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/6225082/Ready-or-Not-READY-or-NOT-Production-Notes-FINAL.pdf?t=1600278619067) The production used practical locations around Toronto, including [Casa Loma](https://www.edgepedia.org/casa-loma), the Parkwood Estate, and a YWCA in Oshawa, rather than soundstages.[17](https://freshfiction.tv/interview-were-more-than-ready-for-the-clever-thrills-radio-silence-crafts-in-ready-or-not/)
In 2022 the duo took over the *Scream* franchise, directing *Scream* (2022) and *Scream VI* (2023) after the death of series director [Wes Craven](https://www.edgepedia.org/wes-craven), with scripts by [James Vanderbilt](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-vanderbilt) and Guy Busick.[4](https://www.thewrap.com/scream-2022-directors-interview-radio-silence-the-last-jedi/) Critics credited the pair with attempting to reinvent the series' villain and with sustaining the franchise's tonal balance; *Scream VI* scored 61 on Metacritic.[18](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/scream-vi/critic-reviews/) They followed with the vampire horror-comedy *Abigail* (2024), returning to a mansion-set premise with [Melissa Barrera](https://www.edgepedia.org/melissa-barrera) and Dan Stevens.[19](https://www.rendyreviews.com/movie-reviews/abigail-review)
## Ready or Not 2 and franchise work
The duo returned to their own property with *[Ready or Not 2: Here I Come](https://www.edgepedia.org/ready-or-not-2-here-i-come)* (2026), released in theaters on March 20, 2026, with Samara Weaving joined by [Kathryn Newton](https://www.edgepedia.org/kathryn-newton), Sarah Michelle Gellar, and [Elijah Wood](https://www.edgepedia.org/elijah-wood).[3](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/ready-or-not-2-here-i-come-over-the-top-horror-sequel-slices-and-dices-the-ultra-rich/) • [20](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/film/a/k0woKv/ready-or-not-2-here-i-come-har-ar-recensionen) Bettinelli-Olpin told *SFX* that returning to their own film carried more pressure than taking on *Scream*, because the first movie was "wildly, wildly personal."[21](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/horror-movies/ready-or-not-2-directors-say-they-feel-more-pressure-with-this-horror-sequel-than-they-did-with-scream-that-franchise-very-clearly-is-what-it-is/)
Franchise work continues: the pair is set to direct a new *Mummy* film for Universal, reuniting [Brendan Fraser](https://www.edgepedia.org/brendan-fraser) and [Rachel Weisz](https://www.edgepedia.org/rachel-weisz), with Gillett saying that after *Scream* their "radar for jumping into another franchise is that it has to feel special."[7](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/adventure-movies/the-mummy-4-release-date-cast-plot/)
## Producing and other credits
Beyond directing, Bettinelli-Olpin has served as a producer or executive producer on the later *V/H/S* anthologies (*V/H/S/94*, *V/H/S/99*, *V/H/S/85*), *Scream 7*, *Fountain of Youth* (2025), and *Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project* (2025).[10](https://www.allmovie.com/artist/matt-bettinelli-olpin-an51879/filmography) His acting credits include small roles in *MacGruber* (2010) and *Hancock* (2008), and a music credit on *CSI: Miami*.[22](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/matt-bettinelli-olpin/credits/3000987120/)
## References
1. [Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, PopcornFinder](https://popcornfinder.com/directors/matt-bettinelli-olpin)
2. [Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2366012)
3. [Over-the-Top Horror Sequel Slices and Dices the Ultra-Rich, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/ready-or-not-2-here-i-come-over-the-top-horror-sequel-slices-and-dices-the-ultra-rich/)
4. [Do Scream Directors Radio Silence Like The Last Jedi?, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/scream-2022-directors-interview-radio-silence-the-last-jedi/)
5. [The Movie Directors Database: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, 25thframe](https://www.25thframe.co.uk/directors/director.php?name=Matt+Bettinelli-Olpin)
6. [Matt Bettinelli-Olpin Ratings, AuteurGraph](https://auteurgraph.com/person/matt-bettinelli-olpin/ratings)
7. [The Mummy 4: release date, cast, plot, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/adventure-movies/the-mummy-4-release-date-cast-plot/)
8. [Radio Silence's 'Ready or Not', KPBS Cinema Junkie](https://www.kpbs.org/news/2019/aug/09/cinema-junkie-podcast-176-radio-silences-ready-or-/)
9. [Ready or Not 2 Production Notes](https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/documents/ron2_production-notes-final_fbdbf426.pdf)
10. [Matt Bettinelli-Olpin Filmography, AllMovie](https://www.allmovie.com/artist/matt-bettinelli-olpin-an51879/filmography)
11. [Interview: Director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin on Going SOUTHBOUND, ComingSoon.net](https://www.comingsoon.net/horror/news/748502-interview-director-matt-bettinelli-olpin-going-southbound)
12. [Southbound (2015), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4935334/?bypassRefViewPref=1)
13. [Director: Radio Silence, The Goods Reviews](https://thegoodsreviews.com/review-index/directors-index/tier-3/director-radio-silence/)
14. [Janine's Pick: Ready or Not (2019), East Meadow Public Library](https://eastmeadow.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Septstaffpicks.pdf)
15. [Radio Silence | Ready or Not, Starburst Magazine](https://www.starburstmagazine.com/features/radio-silence-ready-not/)
16. [Ready or Not Production Notes](https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/6225082/Ready-or-Not-READY-or-NOT-Production-Notes-FINAL.pdf?t=1600278619067)
17. [Radio Silence crafts in 'Ready or Not', Fresh Fiction](https://freshfiction.tv/interview-were-more-than-ready-for-the-clever-thrills-radio-silence-crafts-in-ready-or-not/)
18. [Scream VI critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/scream-vi/critic-reviews/)
19. ['Abigail' Review: What We Hunt in the Shadows, Rendy Reviews](https://www.rendyreviews.com/movie-reviews/abigail-review)
20. [Ready or Not 2: Here I Come review, Aftonbladet](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/film/a/k0woKv/ready-or-not-2-here-i-come-har-ar-recensionen)
21. [Ready or Not 2 directors on sequel pressure, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/horror-movies/ready-or-not-2-directors-say-they-feel-more-pressure-with-this-horror-sequel-than-they-did-with-scream-that-franchise-very-clearly-is-what-it-is/)
22. [Matt Bettinelli-Olpin Credits, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/matt-bettinelli-olpin/credits/3000987120/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Directors, producers, and screenwriters › Genre and specialist film directors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license