With production wrapped on the new film, star Melissa Barrera discusses how Scream 6's setting change will affect the sequel. The currently untitled Scream sequel will be the sixth overall installment in the slasher franchise previously directed by Wes Craven and a direct sequel to this year's Scream which relaunched the film series to positive reviews from critics and audiences. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Opin and Tyler Gillett are back for the sixth film, along with writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, with Scream creator Kevin Williamson is back to produce.
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Other than Barrera as Sam Carpenter, Jenna Ortega is back to lead Scream 6 as her half-sister, Tara. The film will also see the returns cast of Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers, Hayden Panettiere as Kirby, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown. For the first time, the franchise's lead star, Neve Campbell, will not be returning as Sidney Prescott after being displeased with payment offers presented to her. Scream 6 wrapped filming earlier this month with a behind-the-scenes image revealing the film's New York City setting, and now, one star is sharing insight about the new location.
During a recent interview with Collider at TIFF promoting her new film Carmen, Barrera discussed how Scream 6's setting change will affect the forthcoming sequel. The In the Heights star described how different it is to be chased by Ghostface in a big city like New York where "everyone is kind of doing their own thing," as opposed to the fictional small town of Woodsboro. Read what she said below:
It's, like 20 times more mortifying. It's awful. Because you also see how, in a city like New York City, everyone is kind of doing their own thing and someone is screaming for help, and no one will come to their help. No one comes to help them, you know, like, everyone's kind of like, "I'm not getting into that." So it's mortifying, because you're chased by Ghostface, but you also see humanity and how that reacts in a situation like that. Anyway, I think I've already probably said too much.
Scream 6 will find the survivors of the latest Ghostface killings packing up and leaving Woodsboro behind to start a fresh chapter in New York City. However, this won't be the first time the slasher franchise has ventured outside its town of origin. Scream 2 saw Sidney attending the fictional Windsor College in Ohio and Scream 3 revolved around the production of a Stab movie in Hollywood. Scream 6 will now take place in the Big Apple and, similar to Friday The 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan, it will be interesting to see the franchise's iconic killer operating in a new sandbox.
Based on Barrera's comments, it actually sounds like this setting change will have a significant impact on Scream 6, pointing to New Yorkers' general indifference to those in danger. Whether or not Scream 6 actually portrays the city's residents in this negative light remains to be seen. If anything, the location change should help Scream avoid a problem that has plagued the Halloween franchise, as all 13 films take place in Haddonfield, and provide a nice change of scenery for Ghostface's latest stabbing spree.