TheScreamsaga has had its ups and downs, and its boldest sequel so far is now streaming on Netflix, but it’s also a sad reminder of one harsh reality about the saga. AfterScream 4seemed to be the end,theScreamsagacame back to life, seizing the ongoing trend of reboots and legacy sequels.Scream2022 marked the beginning of the reboot trilogy, introducing sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega) as the Final Girls and bringing Sidney (Neve Campbell), Gale (Courteney Cox), and Dewey (David Arquette) back.
The success ofScream2022 led to a sequel,Scream 6, being greenlit.Scream 6continued Sam and Tara’s stories and brought Gale back in a supporting role, as well asScream 4’s Kirby (Hayden Panettiere).Scream 6received mostly positive reviews(though it also got its fair dose of not-so-positive criticism) and was a box office success, making way for a sequel, set for a 2026 release.Scream 6stands out from the rest of the franchise for a couple of reasons, but it’s also a reminder of a harsh reality for the next movie.
Scream 6 Is Now Streaming On Netflix - Why The Sequel Stands Out From The Rest
Scream 6 Did A Couple Of Things Differently
Scream 6follows Sam and Tara a year afterthe 2022 Woodsboro murders. Sam and Tara are now living in New York City, where Tara is attending Blackmore University with her friends and fellow survivors Chad (Mason Gooding) and Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown). Meanwhile, Sam goes to therapy, but she also becomes the target of an online conspiracy that claims she was the mastermind behind the 2022 murders. If that isn’t enough,Sam, Tara, Chad, Mindy, and their new friends begin to be haunted by a new Ghostface killer, while Kirby and Detective Bailey (Dermot Mulroney) try to catch the killer.
Scream 6follows the same basic formula of the saga, but it also does a couple of things differently that make it stand out. First off, and while it’s not the firstScreammovie to be set outside Woodsboro, it is the first one to take the characters and Ghostface to New York City.Scream 6is also the first movie without Sidney Prescott as either a main or supporting character, with Gale explaining she and her family had gone to a safe place. In addition to this,Scream 6has a twist in its Ghostface reveal, making it a first in the franchise.
Scream 6 Is A Reminder That Sam & Tara’s Arcs Are Over
Scream 7 Won’t Have The Carpenter Sisters Back, But Sidney Is Returning
Unfortunately,Scream 6is also the abrupt end of Sam and Tara’s stories. In November 2023,Melissa Barrera was fired fromScream 7, and the following day, it was announced that Jenna Ortega won’t return either, due to scheduling conflicts. In December 2023, director Christopher Landon dropped out of the project, further forcingScream 7to go through a creative retooling.Scream 7will now be directed by franchise creator Kevin Williamson and will have Sidney Campbell backas the main character.
What Neve Campbell’s Return Means For Scream 7: Can It Save The $913M Horror Franchise?
Neve Campbell is officially coming back for Scream 7, and though this can open many doors for the franchise, its survival might not be guaranteed.
Scream 7will include a time jump to focus on Sidney, her husband, and their children, with Cox, Gooding, and Brown returning as Gale, Chad, and Mindy, respectively.Without Sam and Tara inScream 7, the reboot trilogy left their stories incomplete, and though they can be mentioned in the upcoming movie, without them in the movie their stories can’t be given the ending they deserve. It’s to be seen howScream 7will address Sam and Tara’s absences, as well as how the new generation and the legacy characters will be brought together without the Carpenter sisters.
