Hayden Panettiere - Hayden Panettiere's 'Perfect' Scream 4

Hayden Panettiere thinks that the time is right for 'Scream 4'.

The former 'Heroes' actress - who plays Kirby in the fourth instalment of the horror franchise - admits the setup for the films is "perfect" and hopes to "throw the audience for a loop

She said: "I think it's just perfect timing, the amount of time that has passed since the last one came out. It's a perfect setup, with all of these films ... the fictional 'Stab' movies and all the things like that. I think with all of the 'Scream' films, the idea is to throw the audience for a loop every time."

But Hayden - who stars alongside Emma Roberts in the new movie - admits that keeping the killer a secret from the audience will be difficult.

She told MTV News: "For an audience that is so well-versed in 'Scream' films and in what happens and who becomes the killer and everything it's trickier to throw them a curveball, but I think they've done a really cool job with the script. We've had a blast on it."

The actress appears alongside original cast members Courteney Cox-Arquette, David Arquette and Neve Campbell in the movie.

Shooting on the Wes Craven-directed project began in Michigan, US, this week.

The film's plot is a closely guarded secret, with even members of the cast unaware of who the killer is.

Although 'Scream 3' was supposed to be the end of the series, the fourth movie is expected to open up the possibility for a second trilogy with 'Scream 5' and 'Scream 6' being considered.