Scream Franchise Is Going To Go On Forever?
Kevin Williamson, the writer of the original Scream movie, says the franchise can go on forever because Ghostface can be anyone.
When the slasher film Scream debuted in theaters in 1996, it seemed to redefine the horror movie genre for a new generation of audiences craving a good murder mystery plot. The movie has spawned several sequels, some of which are currently in production, and launched the careers of Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, and Drew Barrymore. The movie’s screenwriter, Kevin Williamson, recently confirmed that the Scream franchise could live on forever because each installment showcases a new Ghostface killer every time, which is a trend that can continue for years to come.
According to an interview that Kevin Williamson gave to Collider, he notes that the reason Scream keeps working is that the setup with Ghostface being a different killer in each movie is similar to that of Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and Freddy Krueger in their own respective franchises. He goes on to say that every installment of the Scream franchise gives whoever is revealed to be Ghostface various motives and storylines so that the eventual twist at the end of each movie could be a “game-changer” for the series of films as a whole. The same formula has worked in varying capacities, including the upcoming Halloween Ends starring Jamie Lee Curtis, currently more than four decades after the original 1978 film.
Although Scream doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon, famous faces have been revealed to be the knife-wielding perpetrator(s) under the Ghostface mask throughout the run of the franchise. Actors Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard embodied the killers in the original Scream, followed by Timothy Olyphant and Laurie Metcalf, Scott Foley, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin, and Mikey Madison, and The Boys star Jack Quaid in the subsequent film sequels. MTV and VH1 produced a Scream television series that ran on the cable networks for three seasons from 2015 to 2019, resulting in actors Giorgia Whigham and Tyga being revealed to be the Ghostface killer on the series.
Even with a successful franchise and overwhelming audience support for more additions to the series of films, Scream, unfortunately, lost its Sidney Prescott recently. Neve Campbell will not be returning for Scream 6, which is currently in production, as the actor was not offered the salary, she believed she was due after five films to date. This will be the first movie in the franchise that Campbell will not participate in, leaving the door open for franchise star Courteney Cox to carry the mantle going forward after the death of David Arquette’s character Dewey Riley in the fifth film.
The upcoming Scream 6 is due to be released in theaters in March 2023 and Kevin Williamson will be returning as executive producer. The sequel will costar several actors that appeared in the fourth and fifth films, including Wednesday star Jenna Ortega, Mason Gooding, Melissa Barrera, Hayden Panettiere, and Jasmin Savoy Brown. Scream 6 will also be adding some new faces to the franchise, which so far include Dermot Mulroney, Henry Czerny, Ready or Not actor Samara Weaving, Marvel Cinematic Universe star Tony Revolori, and possibly some guest appearances.
