Scream (2022) brought Ghostface back in January along with legacy characters like Sidney Prescott, a heartbreaking loss, and a new roster of teens to terrorize. All signs were pointing towards the famous horror franchise launching a new chapter in its legacy. But it wasn’t certain whether this fifth film would be the last one or not… until now. According to Deadline, a Scream sequel (let’s call it Scream 6 for now) is coming our way in the future via Paramount. And, even better, our favorite new cast of characters is returning for more screams along with familiar faces… and fresh meat, of course.
We know that Sidney and Gale are still alive but obviously not well after Dewey’s death. They are both still the heartbeat of the Scream universe but only one of them is coming back for a sixth round. Courteney Cox confirmed she had received the script for the upcoming Scream movie. And that Scream 6 was possibly set to start filming in Canada in June 2022. Exciting news, especially considering Paramount has given the upcoming film a March 31, 2023, release date.
However, our beloved Sidney Prescott will not be in the next installment. Deadline confirmed the news in June 2022 after rumors swirled that Neve Campbell was bidding the franchise goodbye. And, based on her statement, this appears to be the end for Sidney forever.
Campbell says, “Sadly I won’t be making the next Scream film… As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream. I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise. It’s been a very difficult decision to move on. To all my Scream fans, I love you. You’ve always been so incredibly supportive to me. I’m forever grateful to you and to what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years.”
Oof. That leaves a lot for fans to speculate about regarding behind-the-scenes snafus. But, from a storytelling standpoint, this isn’t a bad thing. Scream (2022) is a renewal of the franchise with a new crew of teens and their stories. Sidney’s been through enough and honestly people need to leave her the hell alone. It’s time for the new generation to deal with their own killer problems. And that’s exactly what they will do.
Deadline reports that Melissa Barrera (“Sam”), Jasmin Savoy Brown (“Mindy”), Mason Gooding (“Chad”), and Jenna Ortega (“Tara”) will reprise their roles in Scream 6. Something audiences should get excited about. The article notes, “In the next installment, the four survivors of the Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.” Traditionally, we feel compelled to say, this has not gone well for survivors.
We feel like we knew this was coming, but we’re still glad to see confirmed. Sam is the next Sidney in this world and there’s still a lot of uncover with her, including more information about her mom and if she’s possibly going to lean into a darker side of herself. Hopefully, there will be no more Ghost of Killer Past material.
Dermot Mulroney is among the first what what will be a few new folks to face Ghostface. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he will portray a cop. As we all know, that’s not a great position to be in because, well, look at what happens to cops in this universe. We can only assume that he will be one in whatever new city or town the survivors go to. Perhaps he’s campus police? We shall see. Additionally, horror star Samara Weaving and Spider-Man‘s Tony Revolori have also joined the cast in undisclosed roles.
Kirby, who was confirmed to be alive through a clever Easter egg, will also return according to The Hollywood Reporter. This is a big deal for Scream fans who spent over ten years speculating that Hayden Panettiere’s horror-obsessed character survived and came back. Kirby might aid the youth as another round of killings arise. Perhaps she lives near where they relocate to or the crew draws her from wherever she’s at for help. Honestly, it would be cool to catch up with her and see what her life has been like. And the horror geeking between her and Mindy will be supreme. We don’t think she’ll necessarily become the next Sidney Prescott but one thing is for sure: if Kirby dies, we will be in emotional pain. A Kirby appearance alone is enough to make me want to see it.
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett will return to direct this sequel with James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick taking a stab at the screenplay And, of course, the third member of the Radio Silence team, Chad Villella, will executive produce the film along with Kevin Williamson and Spyglass’ Gary Barber and Peter Oillataguerre. Beyond the four returning actors, there’s no official word on who else will be in this Scream sequel but we can obviously make some educated guesses. If you haven’t seen Scream (2022) yet, then you might want to look away right now.
So Ghostface will rise once again to slice and dice anyone who gets in their way. Who will end up on the chopping block? We will see.
Originally published May 10, 2022.
