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Scream is back: Which survivors return, who’s new & how the rules have changed for Ghostface
It's been 10 years since Ghostface haunted our screens, but thanks to Scream, it seems the '80s horror movie-loving killer is back with a vengeance. The film is the fifth installment in the series of the same name, even bearing the same title as the Wes Craven-directed original that kicked off the self-aware franchise back in 1996.
The new movie is set 25 years after the first film and is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the duo behind another horror fan favorite, 2019's Ready or Not, while the screenplay has been written by James Vanderbilt (Murder Mystery) and Guy Busick (Castle Rock). Meanwhile, Kevin Williamson (The Vampire Diaries) who wrote the screenplay for the self-aware 1996 cult classic, serves as executive producer on the project.
But with new folks at the helm, it appears the rules might have changed. Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming movie, before it hits cinemas on Friday, January 14, 2022.
Who's back?
As previously reported, and the Scream trailer now confirms, all three survivors of the OG Woodsboro murders are back, including final girl Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), law enforcement official Dewey Riley (David Arquette), and intrepid reporter-slash-author Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox). They will also be joined by Marley Shelton, who will be reprising her role as law enforcement official Judy Hicks.
And according to Williamson, there might be a fourth cameo of sorts as one of the Ghostface masks which were used in the first movie, will also be featured on-screen in this one.
Who's new?
It's not all just familiar faces! There are also new folks who're hoping to make it to the end, without having a run-in with everyone's favorite masked slasher. Among them are Jack Quaid (The Boys) as Richie Kirsch, Jenna Ortega (Wednesday) as Tara Carpenter, Melissa Barrera (In the Heights) as Sam Carpenter, Kyle Gallner (Outsiders) as Vince, Mikey Madison (The Addams Family) as Amber Freeman, and newcomer Sonia Ammar as Liv McKenzie.
They'll also be joined by Dylan Minnette (Goosebumps) as Wes Hicks, possibly Judy's son or nephew, and Mason Gooding (Picard) and Jasmin Savoy Brown (The Leftovers) as Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin, respectively.
As fans of Scream 2 and 3 might remember, horror film fanatic Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) had a sister named Martha who'd delivered his final message to Sidney and the gang. So the pair could be his niece and nephew. (Wonder if being pop-culture savvy runs in the family...)
What are the new rules?
Unfortunately, as far as we know Randy didn't leave any rules for horror movie survival in the case of a possible franchise revival, though as the trailer (above) shows, Dewey's stepped up to help this latest group of teens survive the killer coming after them 25 years after the original spate of murders.
And much like in the previous Scream movies, the latest wearer of the Ghostface mask has some kind of connection to the survivors of the previous murders as they seem to be targeting anyone related to them. So they're keeping it all in the Scream family, essentially, for the revival.
Who's the killer?
It's obviously too early to guess this early on, but it seems not even the cast might be sure who really dunnit. But theories will certainly abound. The big question is whether this new killer will be directly connected to anyone from the original sequels, or just a new character who becomes obsessed with the original murders.
What can I watch while I wait?
Excellent question! While it may not really match the canon of the films themselves, MTV's Scream TV series captures much of the feel of the movies, while also translating them to the small screen — and updating them for recent times. (The late Craven was even involved as an executive producer.)
There's also the possibility of winning a stay in the real house from the first Scream film. Though, obviously, that comes with several caveats. Including the threat of (fictional) murder.
But if that doesn't make you not answer your phone, or you've already seen all three seasons and the reboot, then check out Netflix's Fear Street trilogy, the first of which is directly inspired by the Scream franchise.
Scream 5 will be released exclusively in theaters on January 14, 2022.
