Scream creator Kevin Williamson explains the franchise's longevity. The slasher series that first began in 1996 is still going strong today, with another film set to debut next year. Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, the upcoming Scream sequel, currently untitled, will be the sixth installment in the slasher franchise. Scream 6 is the direct sequel to 2022's Scream by the same creators, which served as a follow-up to Scream 4 as well as a soft relaunch for the film series a decade after late franchise director Wes Craven's last movie. With positive reviews from critics and fans as well as the continued involvement of original Scream creator Williamson, 2022's "requel" set the bar high for its sequel.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Scream 6 will feature the return of Courteney Cox's legacy character Gale Weathers and Hayden Panettiere's Kirby Reed, who originally appeared in Scream 4. In addition, the sequel will star Scream protagonists Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) and her half-sister Tara (Jenna Ortega), as well as Chad (Mason Gooding) and Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown). The franchise's new installment will move from the small town of Woodsboro to bustling New York City. Since Scream 6 wrapped filming in early September, not much has been revealed about the franchise's future. However, Williamson has teased that the latest installment may not be the end.
In a conversation with Collider, Williamson talks about the future of the iconic Scream franchise, pointing to the possibility of future films. Though he admits that he was initially surprised by the continued success of the films, Williamson goes on to compare Ghostface to other famed horror baddies, indicating that the secret to Scream's longevity is that the face behind the mask is always changing. Check out what the producer has to say below:
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.
How The Franchise Could Continue After Scream 6
Though Scream 6 ends the trilogy that Craven originally envisioned after Scream 4, it's clear Williamson sees a future beyond that trilogy, which wouldn't be out of line with the franchise's history. After all, Scream 3 was originally meant to be the last of the franchise in 2000, with Scream 4 reviving it 11 years later. A new Scream movie after Scream 6 would follow the same pattern and perhaps even launch a third trilogy. Since stars tend to stick around, either Ortega or Barrera – or both – could embark on a new Scream trilogy after the conclusion of Scream 6 and return to Woodsboro after striking out in the big city. One of the new stars could even end up donning the Ghostface mask at some point in the next few films, with would certainly be a shocking twist in a franchise full of surprises.
Scream 6 is the first film in the franchise that will not feature Neve Campbell as original character Sidney Prescott. Now, Cox's Gale is the only legacy character left in the franchise, making it likely that she will feature prominently in the film. It's not known if Scream 6 will be Cox's final foray in the horror franchise, but if another Scream film were created, as Williamson hints, her presence would be welcomed by fans. Panettiere's fan-favorite character Kirby is also likely to play a sizable role in the sequel, and will perhaps go on to helm another installment in the franchise. Additionally, new Scream 6 cast members include Tony Revolori, Samara Weaving, Dermot Mulroney, and Henry Czerny. With a large slate of characters slated for the sequel set to premiere in March 2023, Williamson's comments seem to tease that Scream 6 won't mark the conclusion of all their stories just yet.