Scream is coming off a huge high as the sixth entry was both a critical and commercial success. All seemed to be going well with the reboot until Melissa Barrera was fired by Spyglass due to “hate speech”. Now, Barrera’s firing was pretty weak. The brief statement that she put on Instagram wasn’t even close to being hate speech. Unfortunately, the actress was fired and the studio is moving forward without her.
The following day after Barrera’s firing, Jenna Ortega’s exit was also confirmed. The reports have stated that it all came down to schedule conflicts, but, strangely, this news leaked out following Barrera’s exit. Nevertheless, the franchise is without its two leads. Christopher Landon has also confirmed his exit as the writer/director. There have been rumors that Spyglass is looking to bring back Neve Campbell or Patrick Dempsey, who played Detective Mark Kincaid in Scream 3. However, it would simply be better if the studio opted to put an axe on the franchise for good.
There’s Only So Far You Can Go With Scream’s Premise
Scream 6 did something really interesting in the beginning. Following the death of Laura Crane (Samara Weaving), Jason Carvey (Tony Revolori) immediately revealed himself as Ghostface. There’s a unique story following the adventures of Ghostface himself. Having a cult that’s dedicated to the infamous serial killer is an excellent idea. Sadly, that doesn’t appear to be the direction they’re going in since they’re trying to bring back Neve Campbell for Sidney Prescott.
Scream 6 was entertaining, but there’s no denying that certain parts of the series have grown stale. The notion that a masked serial killer is stalking and killing a group of people is no longer fun to watch. Plus, the quirky meta-humor has had more misses than hits lately. There’s only so much the franchise can do with the same premise over and over again. Scream 6 could be considered a strong end to the franchise. Does this mean that they can’t pop out another good Scream movie? No, but if each entry continues to follow the same pattern as the first Scream then it’ll grow tiresome to the point where audiences are no longer interested.
Sidney Prescott Already Had Her Happy Ending
Scream 3 is one of the weaker entries of the series; however, that film did wrap up her character’s journey. She finally overcame the trauma and sadness that plagued her life since the death of her mother, Maureen Prescott. Sidney felt shoehorned in for legacy reasons in Scream’s 4 and 5. It didn’t help that she essentially had plot armor at that point. Though her character is an icon in the world of horror, she was stale in those respective films because a new personal goal wasn’t stated.
Bringing Sidney Prescott back to the centerfold isn’t going to help. While it sucked that Neve Campbell didn’t appear in Scream 6 because of financial reasons, it was a benefit that her character was not there. It allowed Ghostface and his legacy to take center stage, developing the mythology of the serial killer. Bringing Neve Campbell back so another pairing (or three) of psychos stalk and try to kill her is the least interesting route to go in the next Scream.
It’s okay that characters have happy endings. It would be great if Sidney Prescott got to ride into the sunset with her family. The only intriguing direction for her character would be if she turned out to be Ghostface. But that’s not a creative choice the writers should make because tainting the final girl image of Sidney Prescott isn’t worth milking the franchise for.
The Horror Genre Has Evolved Since The Early 90’s
Credit: Scream
There will always be room for slasher films in every generation. However, it’s been noticeable that not many come in the modern age. Horror has evolved from the slasher-crazed into a more thought-provoking and elevated horror like Talk to Me or Beau is Afraid. Scream feels stale compared to modern horror because its once original and fresh approach to the genre has been taken away.
It’s not just the fact that six films have come out of the franchise. But films with meta-humor have become more relevant in recent years. Cabin in the Woods, What We Do In The Shadows, and Funny Games are just some of the films that have masterfully taken on that mantle following the first Scream. This isn’t to say that there isn’t any room for a film like Scream in today’s age, but what does the franchise bring new to the table? As surprisingly good as the recent string of films has been, they ultimately feel like cash grabs based on the clear nostalgia bait. The Scream franchise has made an impact that will surely be remembered in cinema for a very long time. However, it’s time to put the franchise to rest following the recent developments.