WithScream 7finally in development after some pre-production issues, franchise veterans have shared their opinion on the reboot movies, among them Matthew Lillard, and though he’s right about them, he’s missing one big point. AlthoughScream 4gave Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), and Dewey Riley (David Arquette) a proper ending in 2011, the franchise came back to life in 2022 thanks to the trend of reboots and legacy sequels.Scream(2022) brought together the original trio of survivors and a new generation of characters, led by Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega).
The plan was forScream(2022) to be the start of a new trilogy with Sam and Tara as the new Final Girls accompanied by some legacy characters. However,Campbell didn’t return forScream 6due to salary disputes andScream 7won’t have Barrera and Ortega back, as Barrera was fired and Ortega dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.Scream 7will now have Campbell back, leading other franchise veterans to share their thoughts on the new movies. Among them is Matthew Lillard, and though he’s right aboutScream 6, he’s missing the most important point of the franchise.
Matthew Lillard Found Scream 6 To Be Too Violent – But That’s The Point
Speaking toGamesRadar+in November 2024, Matthew Lillard was asked about his thoughts ontheScreamfranchiseand its reboot movies. Lillard shared that he thinks the franchise is in “a good place” and loved what directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin did with the new movies, saying they were taking “a really exciting way”. However,Lillard foundScream 6to be too violentand feels the new movies are trying to repeat what he and the rest of the original cast did in the firstScreammovie in many ways.
Matthew Lillard had an uncredited voice role in 2022’sScreamas Flamethrower Ghostface.
Lillard used the “maniacal monologue” at the end of the movie as an example of what theScreammovies have tried to replicate from the original, but hopes that Kevin Williamson will take the franchise in a “new, brave, and exciting direction.” Lillard is right thatScream 6went for a more violent Ghostface murder spree, but that’s also part of what makes the franchise what it is.The essence of theScreamsaga is how it addresses, uses, and satirizes the clichésof the slasher genre, with each movie covering different ones.
It makes sense, then, thatScream 6was more violent, as it fits with the modern clichés of the genre.
Scream 4, for example, was all about horror remakes, whileScream(2022) covered the trend of “requels” andScream 6was about horror franchises. The slasher genre has changed a lot since the first threeScreammovies came out, and it has seen more graphic and violent movies, such asTerrifierandPearl, among many others. It makes sense, then, thatScream 6was more violent, as it fits with the modern clichés of the genre that the franchise has to address, as it has always done.
Scream 7’s Director Doesn’t Guarantee The Reboot Trilogy Will Be Saved
Scream 7 Has The Franchise’s Creator As Director
After Barrera’s firing, Ortega’s departure, and director Christopher Landon also leaving the project,Scream 7is now back on its feet with a new script, new director, and new/old main character.Scream 7is being directed by franchise creator Kevin Williamson, who also wrote the first twoScreammovies andScream 4. As mentioned above,Scream 7will have Neve Campbell back as Sidney Prescott, and it’s likely it will bring other legacy characters back, namely Sidney’s husband Mark Kincaid (Patrick Dempsey), and Gale.
Scream 7’s Rumored Sidney Story Gives The Franchise Its Darkest Ghostface Twist (& I Don’t Like It)
Scream 7’s rumored plot details reveal who Ghostface is going after in addition to Sidney Prescott, giving the franchise an unnecessary dark turn.
Having Williamson and Campbell back is good forScream 7after the many problems it has already gone through, but their presence doesn’t immediately guarantee the reboot trilogy will be saved. The biggest criticism theScreamreboot movies have received (which fits with Lillard’s words) is thatthey have recycled the stories of the first movies in the franchise.Scream(2022) is pretty much a modern remake of the first movie, andScream 6copied the family connection inthe identity of the Ghostface killersthatScream 2did back in 1997.
At this point,Scream 7is expected to take inspiration fromScream 3and have a big twist reveal in the identity of the new Ghostface killer(s).
Williamson directingScream 7can bring a familiar style to the movie, but it’s still at risk of being more of the same and not something new. At this point,Scream 7is expected to take inspiration fromScream 3and have a big twist reveal in the identity of the new Ghostface killer(s), which, if it ends up happening, would be a disappointing ending to the franchise.
Scream 7 Still Has To Avoid The Nostalgia Trap
Scream 7 Has Big Challenges To Overcome
In addition to the above problem of recycling the stories and tricks of the first movies,Scream 7still has to avoid the infamous nostalgia trap. Unlike other recently revived horror franchises, theScreamreboot movies haven’t had a big nostalgia problem –their problem is the lack of originality in their stories and the identities of the killers. However,Scream 7is at a bigger risk of falling into the nostalgia trap with Williamson and Campbell back, and even more so if Gale and Kincaid also return.
The key to avoiding this is to move Sidney, Kincaid, and Gale’s stories forward rather than rely on their past stories, and this also means that the new Ghostface killer can’t be someone linked to their past.Scream 7has big challenges ahead, such as keeping up with the essence of the franchise while bringing something new and exciting with old characters.
Source:GamesRadar+.
Scream 7
Scream 7 is the latest entry in the longstanding horror franchise, continuing the legacy with new chilling events.
