Scream 6 will serve as a direct sequel to this year’s Scream (2022), and as such, will see the return of all surviving characters from that movie, with the exception of Neve Campbell, who bowed out earlier this year. The first three movies in the series - Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), and Scream 3 (2000) - were all planned from the get-go. Scream 4 (2011), however, was not, and neither was Scream (2022). So to suggest that there’s an overarching plot throughout the series is untrue. And the only consistencies have been Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), Dewey Riley (David Arquette), and Ghostface.
Nevertheless, this year’s sequel has clearly reinvigorated the fanbase’s interest in the series, although Scream 6 is nothing more than a reaction to that film’s box office success. In other words, it’s making itself up as it goes along. And this is fine, of course, because it’s something most franchises tend to do. What’s a shame where Scream is concerned, though, is that it was once better than that. But if you think the series is set to end soon, think again. Scream writer Kevin Williamson recently talked about the future of the Scream franchise, as well as its unprecedented success.
In an interview with Collider, Williamson has discussed the future of the Scream franchise, suggesting that the upcoming sequel is far from the end. Here’s what he said: “Now [I do think it can go on]. I’ve been proven wrong repeatedly. Since this last one was such a pleasure… I also think one of the wonderful things about Scream is that there’s a different killer in every film. There’s [Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, or Freddy Krueger], they don’t go away. And Ghostface changes with every movie, so we have an opportunity to change the motive, change the story, and we can always twist and turn it since it [the original Scream] was always meant to be a game-changer.” Williamson makes a valid point about the “immortality” of Ghostface, which will never need to be explained with some supernatural backstory, as Ghostface is always a different person, yet always the same on the outside.
With that said, suggesting that Scream could go on well beyond a sixth movie (Scream 4 was already pushing it) is wishful thinking, especially when you consider that the series has already become a shadow of its former self. That’s not to suggest that this year’s Scream (2022) is a bad sequel - it’s actually surprisingly entertaining - but there’s an ironic twist here somewhere, in that the Scream movies have already become the “Stab” movies. What’s genius about the original Scream Trilogy is how it unpacks the traditional slasher movie, sequels in general, and trilogies. Beyond that original trilogy, Scream has struggled to have anything interesting to say.
The official synopsis for the upcoming sequel is as follows: “[Scream 6] continues with the four survivors of the Ghostface killings as they leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.” Whether or not Scream 6 will be the final movie in the series remains to be seen, but it’s unlikely considering the previous installment grossed $140 million at the global box office against a budget of $24 million. Campbell has also expressed an interest in reprising her role as Sidney Prescott in a future movie (provided her character isn’t killed off between movies, of course).
Scream 6 recently wrapped filming and will take place in New York City. stars Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers), Hayden Panettiere (Kirby Reed), Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter), Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter), Jasmin Savoy Brown (Mindy Meeks), Mason Gooding (Chad Meeks), Newcomers are Dermot Mulroney, Henry Czerny, Tony Revolori, Jack Champion, Devyn Nekoda, Liana Liberato, Josh Segarra, and Samara Weaving in undisclosed roles. Scream 6 will be released in theaters on March 31, 2023.
