Scream 5 in Development

[Z-man]

I've had some serious time to process my thoughts on this movie because my initial impression after my first viewing of this was not positive in the least and that sucks because I really wanted to like it.

I really dug the opening sequence, but as soon as that big reveal happens early on, I was immediately taken out of the movie and unfortunately, I just couldn't become invested in it afterwards.

It also doesn't help that I didn't care for the majority of the new characters introduced outside of Jenny Ortega and Jasmin Savoy Brown who I wish either one was the lead instead of Melissa Barrera.

I liked her in Vida and she's very easy on the eyes, but I didn't think she was good here as the lead and at the end of the day I just didn't end up caring much about the Sam character at all.

I don't know maybe its just me considering how much praise this has been getting but I just wasn't impressed by this movie on any level even the kills which just got repetitive after a while.

Much like Matrix: Resurrections which also heavily disliked I just thought this was kind of a missed opportunity considering so much time has passed since the last movie.

I mean there is so much crazy cool stuff they can do with the Ghostface character and you guys have already mentioned some really cool ideas that I would have preferred over the same rinse and repeat stuff we got here.

Also, the BIG death scene really rubbed me the wrong way because of how idiotic it was IMO.

To be honest, I agree with what you said. I was not completely sure about how I felt after my first viewing, and it was bugging me! So I watched it for the second time today and unfortunately made me conclude that it’s not as good as the other films.

None of the new characters had any of the charm or wit as the previous ones. It was made worse by their bad acting, especially Sam! It also felt like they were tipping the hat too much to the original film, especially the kitchen scene mirroring the third act, that it made the second half of the film a bit too predictable.

Additionally, the motives were a bit weak and flimsy - I can almost see Sidney and Gale break out in laughter when the killers explained it! I don’t know, but it felt like they’ve ran out of ideas. A certain character’s scene (it was so obvious in the trailers too!) was also a letdown, just another death without any emotional weight to it. It had a lot of missed opportunities.

I did enjoy another character’s scene though. The suspense was just so intense it felt like the Scream of old! That was really good I think. I hope to see more of that in future films.

 

[KaijuDude1992]

This movie already being a success means more movies are inevitable and while I wasn't a fan of this one, I know I'm still going to watch it because I'm such a big fan of these movies and I'm always curious to see what direction they take this franchise in next just like the previous films.

I just want to see some new stuff man that's all. I really like the idea of a Scream film being set in a snowy/winter location or even having a kill take place in the rain would add some really nice atmosphere IMO.

Also, is it a crime that Ghostface use different weapons instead of the same knife he's been using since 1996? I know its an iconic part of the character, but they could really change it up and bring some actual creativity to the kills.

I know the slasher/gorehound fan in me would love seeing him use a variety of weapons onscreen like an axe or a tomahawk or even somekind of chainsaw/bonesaw.

I mean even Michael Myers and Jason Vorhees changed their weapons up every now and then and didn't just use the same old butcher knives and machete's the entire time.

 

[Closerframe]

Also, is it a crime that Ghostface use different weapons instead of the same knife he's been using since 1996? I know its an iconic part of the character, but they could really change it up and bring some actual creativity to the kills.

I know the slasher/gorehound fan in me would love seeing him use a variety of weapons onscreen like an axe or a tomahawk or even somekind of chainsaw/bonesaw.

I mean even Michael Myers and Jason Vorhees changed their weapons up every now and then and didn't just use the same old butcher knives and machete's the entire time.

Perhaps a flamethrower?

 

[TheVileOne]

I've had some serious time to process my thoughts on this movie because my initial impression after my first viewing of this was not positive in the least and that sucks because I really wanted to like it.

I really dug the opening sequence, but as soon as that big reveal happens early on, I was immediately taken out of the movie and unfortunately, I just couldn't become invested in it afterwards.

It also doesn't help that I didn't care for the majority of the new characters introduced outside of Jenny Ortega and Jasmin Savoy Brown who I wish either one was the lead instead of Melissa Barrera.

I liked her in Vida and she's very easy on the eyes, but I didn't think she was good here as the lead and at the end of the day I just didn't end up caring much about the Sam character at all.

I don't know maybe its just me considering how much praise this has been getting but I just wasn't impressed by this movie on any level even the kills which just got repetitive after a while.

Much like Matrix: Resurrections which also heavily disliked I just thought this was kind of a missed opportunity considering so much time has passed since the last movie.

I mean there is so much crazy cool stuff they can do with the Ghostface character and you guys have already mentioned some really cool ideas that I would have preferred over the same rinse and repeat stuff we got here.

Also, the BIG death scene really rubbed me the wrong way because of how idiotic it was IMO.

Same.

 

[BatLobster]

Also, is it a crime that Ghostface use different weapons instead of the same knife he's been using since 1996? I know its an iconic part of the character, but they could really change it up and bring some actual creativity to the kills.

I guess it just goes to show how different people are going to approach the franchise differently, but I really could care less about that. I'm not opposed to changing it up here and there and doing something over the top like the Tatum garage kill once in a while, but so it stands out more. I think the knife + well-directed kill scenes have to be "home base" for this franchise. It's not supposed to be Saw. I think it needs to be more about coming up with great, tension-building cat and mouse scenarios for Ghostface to shine. Like the recording studio sequence in Scream 2 and the

Spoiler

Judy/Wes

sequence in this film. I'm here for that kind of stuff all day. I have no interest in Ghostface using a different weapon. Not that I'm strictly against it, but I think if you have to reach for that to make it fresh then you're probably missing something.

I also thought seeing the chrome Ghostface and flamethrower in STA8 was hilarious.

 

[The Shape]

This is awesome. So many voice cameos.

‘Scream’ Filmmakers Reveal the Surprise Easter Egg Cameos You Didn’t Notice! [Spoiler Interview]

I’m going back to see it again tonight and will look out and listen for these now.

 

[BatLobster]

‘Scream’ Directors Talk Full Spoilers: The Killer, Who Died, and Secret Cameos

More spoiler-filled nuggets from the Radio Silence guys. I really am enjoying their obvious love for the franchise.

And one thing I really liked here is they mention how they don't really see this movie as purely a passing a baton, and more like an expansion of the family. In other words, the OGs will still have a role to play in future films. I think this is good. There are lots of ways you can do it that will make sense without them overshadowing the newcomers.

 

[Web-Head]

Got home about an hour ago and I pretty much loved it. I could probably sit here and nitpick the movie to death but I had a good time. It's better than three and four but maybe not quite as good as the sequel.

Another solid entry in the franchise

 

[Ninjablade]

Decided to this out of curiosity tonight, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was much better than what I initially expected it to be based of the trailers.

Commentary movies such as this one are really hard to pull off because you run the risk of becoming what you're commentating on, and I rarely ever felt that was the case here. In fact, I found some of it to be quite clever with playing with the modern horror tropes. Script could've used another pass to clean up some of the dialogue. At times it was just a little too on the nose and heavy handed, and not all the actors could really make it work. Melissa Barrera, in particular, was awful in this. Her performance did not gel with anyone else, and felt like she belonged in one of these horror movies this movie is criticizing. Everyone else seemed to know what movie they were in, but her, and it became even worse once Arquette, Cox, and Campbell started showing up. Other than that, I don't have many nits to pick.

A couple random spoiler thoughts:

Spoiler

This movie is incredibly well shot. A lot of really striking images and great camera work. Ghostface always felt intimidating and scary.

The thing that surprised me the most was the Wes/Judy sequence. A great test for any horror directors is whether or not you can make the daytime scary or tense, and my god did they succeed here. While I was aware of when and where a lot of the jumps scares would take place, I thought these two did a great job at building tension so those jumps paid off well. Ghostface jumping out of the bush to kill Judy was really cool. It's hard to pull off one of these horror characters during the day and I thought he was his scariest when standing in front of Judy.

I really like that they didn't immediately reveal it was the original house despite spending quite a bit of time in it beforehand. I could tell right away, but I appreciated the restraint in holding off until the characters who knew the house were aware of the location. They could've easily could've revealed it as soon as Richie asked where they were going, so I commend them for that.

Despite being an extremely heavy handed monologue, I really liked the whole requel discussion. I got a kick out of it.

 

[CaptainWagner]

‘Scream’ Directors Talk Full Spoilers: The Killer, Who Died, and Secret Cameos

More spoiler-filled nuggets from the Radio Silence guys. I really am enjoying their obvious love for the franchise.

And one thing I really liked here is they mention how they don't really see this movie as purely a passing a baton, and more like an expansion of the family. In other words, the OGs will still have a role to play in future films. I think this is good. There are lots of ways you can do it that will make sense without them overshadowing the newcomers.

Personally, I kind of WANT them to move on from the originals. IMO, it's kind of getting tired to keep repeating the whole "just when we thought we were out, we get pulled back in narrative." Like, we've seen Sydney engaged with the killings and we've seen Sidney just very DONE with the killings and there's really not much more to do with her from here.

I really did enjoy the movie though. I wasn't a huge fan of Barrera's performance, it was just plain bad in parts IMO. So I'm wary about her potentially being the new lead. The other characters were much more compelling for me. More thoughts later.

 

[The Joker]

Yeah I think they have wrung every drop of story there is from Sidney at this point. In Scream 5 she just seemed to be there because she is a legacy character and did her usual bad ass stuff. Character wise she had the least to work with out of the trio. She was also utterly fearless. To the point where she actually almost seemed bored of Ghostface.

Spoiler

She even hangs up on him mid conversation telling him she's bored lol.

I hope if they do a Scream 6 that this movie is a passing of the torch. Sam, Tara, the Meeks twins are the new group.

 

[BatLobster]

Personally, I kind of WANT them to move on from the originals. IMO, it's kind of getting tired to keep repeating the whole "just when we thought we were out, we get pulled back in narrative." Like, we've seen Sydney engaged with the killings and we've seen Sidney just very DONE with the killings and there's really not much more to do with her from here.

I really did enjoy the movie though. I wasn't a huge fan of Barrera's performance, it was just plain bad in parts IMO. So I'm wary about her potentially being the new lead. The other characters were much more compelling for me. More thoughts later.

The problem is...Sid said it herself. She has kids to protect and she won't be able to sleep at night if Ghostface is around. So they kind of wrote themselves into a corner there. She's also established as a total badass at this point, which IMO is a fun new component to have in the Scream universe if used sparingly.

That said, I think there is a way to ease them out of it. They don't have to be big roles, maybe you keep them out of the action in 6. I also think they potentially have something interesting here with Sid and Gale knowing

Spoiler

Sam's history and what she's capable of.

I think they've also set up a kind of parallel between surviving sisters Sam and Tara and Sidney and Gale's bond. And they clearly don't have any sort of parental figure who they can really rely on. Tara has been established as an even more sympathetic character just due to the sheer amount of trauma she goes through in this movie. I think it would be really interesting if she reaches a point where doesn't know if she can trust her own sister and has to seek out Sidney for advice.

To me, the Scream movies are a bit of a soap opera. Every movie has family connections to either Sidney or Billy that tie things together. I think it's okay to lean into that as you continue the franchise, as long as you get the balance right and don't have the OGs overshadow the new cast. I think this movie had the right balance.

I also think it would awesome to see Kincaid back, now that they've confirmed he's Sidney's husband. One of the things I actually really loved about Scream 3 was how it leaned more into the mystery/investigation angle of it all. I think if you did that type of thing again but without the goofier Hollywood angle of 3, it could be a great tone for a Scream film. Either way,

Spoiler

with Dewie and Judy gone, I think we need some type of law enforcement presence in the next film.

Also...if future films actually go there and bring back Stu somehow, I think that type of investigative element would help bridge the gap. Slowly unraveling a mystery of how he could've somehow slipped through the cracks could be a big part of the story rather than some third act bombshell that comes out of nowhere.

Bottom line, I think there are a TON of different directions you could go for the next couple of films and that's what I'm really excited about.

 

[RagingTempest]

Saw the film this past Monday!!!! Absolutely blown away by it. Here’s my non-spoiler review from my blog:

Scream 2022 Review

 

[samsnee]

‘Scream’ Directors Talk Full Spoilers: The Killer, Who Died, and Secret Cameos

More spoiler-filled nuggets from the Radio Silence guys. I really am enjoying their obvious love for the franchise.

And one thing I really liked here is they mention how they don't really see this movie as purely a passing a baton, and more like an expansion of the family. In other words, the OGs will still have a role to play in future films. I think this is good. There are lots of ways you can do it that will make sense without them overshadowing the newcomers.

Great interview. Need to rewatch again to hear the voice cameos I totally missed

 

[The Shape]

So after seeing the film a second time, being able to absorb more of it, and already knowing what happens this time, I actually liked it even more. My biggest issues with the film after first viewing were pacing (thought some things happened too fast towards the end), musical score, and not being crazy about Melissa Barrera’s performance.

Still not crazy about the overall musical score. Definitely lacking compared to the scores for Scream 1-3 (really miss “Trouble in Woodsboro), but a little better than Scream 4. The music just doesn’t stand out enough in some parts and comes off as kind of generic sometimes. The overall sound design, though, is great.

I liked Melissa as Sam more this time and certainly think she is a stronger lead than Emma Roberts was as Jill. She has a few wonky scenes in this, but overall is solid. She is also super hot, which helps (at least for me). It seems like any lead other than Sidney/Neve would be a hard pill to swallow for some fans, which is understandable because she was amazing in her day.

Some other random thoughts:

Spoiler

- Dewey and Gale’s scene together prior to his death hits hard. “You are many things, but you’re not a coward.”

- Unlike Scream 4, Ghostface doesn’t always appear to be 6’4 unlike the actual actors who play the killers. In plenty of scenes, including Dewey’s death, Ghostface is easily small enough and thin enough to pass for someone close to Amber’s height, while wearing more unisex style boots with lifts and a thick bulletproof vest. You can see that this Ghostface is lacking in strength in some scenes and not necessarily strong enough to stab someone with one arm, so he (actually she) uses his (her) bodyweight to lean on her knife arm to push it into the victim, or has to catch people by surprise or from behind (Chad) to finish the job.

- It’s also easy to figure out which killer is behind the mask in each scene because the logistics and staging of scenes/characters make sense, which is something I love about the first two films.

- The killers are definitely pretty obvious from the start based on first impressions (just as Billy and Stu were throughout Scream), but the movie does a good enough job of making you forget about your first impressions as the film goes on with the other suspects and red herrings. The friend I saw this with for my second viewing pegged Richie as a possible killer early on, but then changed his pick like 3 times during the movie. He never suspected Amber.

- I think it was Amber who called out Chad for having bruises on his arm in an early scene, which he said was from football. Later on, there is a visible bruise on Amber’s chest when she’s standing next to Tara’s hospital bed.

- Loved Richie and Amber’s little looks and comments to each other throughout the film, and how they each cast suspicion on one another in one of the early scenes.

- Throughout the film, Richie claims he’s watching the Stab films for the first time and we see him doing so, along with watching that Youtube review of Stab 8 while he’s one the phone with Sam. As we know now, he was likely rewatching the Stab films and reaction videos because of how obsessed he is with the franchise, getting hyped up, to get ideas for his and Amber’s plans, etc.

- The Judy and Wes death scene is really great. I love that they had another big multi-faceted daytime Ghostface kill like Scream 2, which is something other horror/slasher franchises shy away from. You can still have tense, suspenseful sequences that take place during the day.

- Amber is a great Ghostface. Absolutely love her unhinged energy in the finale, and she’s also hilarious (and hot).

- Sam wiping the blood off the knife at the end was kind of a cringey moment for me on first viewing, but for someone reason I found it to be much more awesome and badass on second viewing. Things happened very quickly towards the end, so I was able to appreciate some individual moments and lines of dialogue more this time.

- Another thing that bothers me is the set they used for Stu’s house. Really wish they were able to film at the actual house. The finale is pretty great and has great staging. The set is a pretty good replica of the actual house, but you can still tell it’s a set especially when Chad and others are outside. It also prevented them from having proper wide/establishing shots of the house (including the final shot). For instance, when Sam finds out it’s Stu’s house, it would have been great for the camera to have been able to really pull back all the way.

 

[DyeLorean]

Well well well. I got covid for the first time more than a week ago so I had to put this one on hold. Avoided every single spoiler and finally saw it today. I didn't love it (yet) but I did like it very much and it's another solid entry in the franchise. Ghostface was the best version in years. Brutal. It's a lot of fun. Another Scream movie to add to those October rewatches!

Spoiler

Figured (or guessed) one of the killers basically from the trailers but it made everything a lot more fun. For some reason I kept expecting Stu to be alive too, which I see I wasn't the only one.

 

[CaptainWagner]

So after seeing the film a second time, being able to absorb more of it, and already knowing what happens this time, I actually liked it even more. My biggest issues with the film after first viewing were pacing (thought some things happened too fast towards the end), musical score, and not being crazy about Melissa Barrera’s performance.

Still not crazy about the overall musical score. Definitely lacking compared to the scores for Scream 1-3 (really miss “Trouble in Woodsboro), but a little better than Scream 4. The music just doesn’t stand out enough in some parts and comes off as kind of generic sometimes. The overall sound design, though, is great.

I liked Melissa as Sam more this time and certainly think she is a stronger lead than Emma Roberts was as Jill. She has a few wonky scenes in this, but overall is solid. She is also super hot, which helps (at least for me). It seems like any lead other than Sidney/Neve would be a hard pill to swallow for some fans, which is understandable because she was amazing in her day.

Some other random thoughts:

Spoiler

- Dewey and Gale’s scene together prior to his death hits hard. “You are many things, but you’re not a coward.”

- Unlike Scream 4, Ghostface doesn’t always appear to be 6’4 unlike the actual actors who play the killers. In plenty of scenes, including Dewey’s death, Ghostface is easily small enough and thin enough to pass for someone close to Amber’s height, while wearing more unisex style boots with lifts and a thick bulletproof vest. You can see that this Ghostface is lacking in strength in some scenes and not necessarily strong enough to stab someone with one arm, so he (actually she) uses his (her) bodyweight to lean on her knife arm to push it into the victim, or has to catch people by surprise or from behind (Chad) to finish the job.

- It’s also easy to figure out which killer is behind the mask in each scene because the logistics and staging of scenes/characters make sense, which is something I love about the first two films.

- The killers are definitely pretty obvious from the start based on first impressions (just as Billy and Stu were throughout Scream), but the movie does a good enough job of making you forget about your first impressions as the film goes on with the other suspects and red herrings. The friend I saw this with for my second viewing pegged Richie as a possible killer early on, but then changed his pick like 3 times during the movie. He never suspected Amber.

- I think it was Amber who called out Chad for having bruises on his arm in an early scene, which he said was from football. Later on, there is a visible bruise on Amber’s chest when she’s standing next to Tara’s hospital bed.

- Loved Richie and Amber’s little looks and comments to each other throughout the film, and how they each cast suspicion on one another in one of the early scenes.

- Throughout the film, Richie claims he’s watching the Stab films for the first time and we see him doing so, along with watching that Youtube review of Stab 8 while he’s one the phone with Sam. As we know now, he was likely rewatching the Stab films and reaction videos because of how obsessed he is with the franchise, getting hyped up, to get ideas for his and Amber’s plans, etc.

- The Judy and Wes death scene is really great. I love that they had another big multi-faceted daytime Ghostface kill like Scream 2, which is something other horror/slasher franchises shy away from. You can still have tense, suspenseful sequences that take place during the day.

- Amber is a great Ghostface. Absolutely love her unhinged energy in the finale, and she’s also hilarious (and hot).

- Sam wiping the blood off the knife at the end was kind of a cringey moment for me on first viewing, but for someone reason I found it to be much more awesome and badass on second viewing. Things happened very quickly towards the end, so I was able to appreciate some individual moments and lines of dialogue more this time.

- Another thing that bothers me is the set they used for Stu’s house. Really wish they were able to film at the actual house. The finale is pretty great and has great staging. The set is a pretty good replica of the actual house, but you can still tell it’s a set especially when Chad and others are outside. It also prevented them from having proper wide/establishing shots of the house (including the final shot). For instance, when Sam finds out it’s Stu’s house, it would have been great for the camera to have been able to really pull back all the way.

I'm curious - Do we know why

Spoiler

They couldn't film at the house? IIRC, it's been fully restored/maintained to how it looked in the original and they're renting it out to fans to stay in. So you'd have thought it wouldn't have been hard to use again, at least for exterior shots.

 

[DarkShadow10]

Only things I enjoyed about the movie are:

Spoiler: The Best of Scream 5

1) Dewey’s “Well, maybe you're the killer.” line to Wes
2) Jasmin Savoy Brown’s character, Mindy Meeks-Martin. Much like the previous instalment’s Kirby Reed, I absolutely adored the character!!
3) Dewey’s last hurrah with Ghostface
4) The subtle nods to previous films in the franchise such as:
I) The reveal that Kirby actually survived the events of the last movie
II) The recreation of the scene where Ghostface is creeping up behind Randy while he was watching a movie on the couch

 

[BatLobster]

If you want to see Radio Silence get asked point blank if Stu is alive, I cued it up here:



LOL watch their eyes and body language! I think it's still an open debate.

 

[The Shape]

Regarding Stu being alive and appearing in a future sequel, I have mixed feelings. There is a huge obsession among Scream fans about this topic.

I absolutely love Stu and Matthew Lillard as a person. (It’s his birthday today – HBD!) I love his continued dedication and support for the Scream franchise up until now. You can tell he loves that he is a part of this and loves the fans. Of course I would love to see him return in some capacity, but I wrestle with the idea of how it could happen without feeling like a cop out or an even bigger retcon than other retcons in the series. There are really only two ways he could be “brought back”.

Option 1: Stu survived the ending of Scream 96 and has been in prison or on death row since then biding his time. Even though it’s unlikely he would have survived (he was already dying from the multiple stab wounds before getting straight up electrocuted), this is still technically the most logical and “realistic” way for him to return to the series in some form. However, there have been 4 additional Scream movies since then spanning two decades and there hasn’t been one peep or mention of Stu surviving and rotting in jail, including in the new movie (not counting the Youtube conspiracy thumbnail most people probably didn’t even see). Billy Loomis has still been a focal point throughout the franchise and mentioned frequently as being dead, especially in the new film. The new film even focuses on a character (Vince) related to Stu and the finale takes place at his old house, but still no mention of Stu being alive.

Looking at some of the complaints of Scream 3, for example, many people have issues with the fact that we retroactively learn that Sidney has a long lost brother than was never mentioned or hinted at in the previous films, and that Roman also inspired and advised Billy on how to kill Maureen Prescott. People have also complained about Scream 2022 presenting us with a Billy Loomis lovechild that was never mentioned or hinted at in any of the previous films. Things like this never bothered me, but wouldn’t people also find it strange to learn that Stu Macher has been alive and in prison all of this time because the writers decided it to be so? If this were to happen in a new film, he would either be orchestrating something from prison and/or some supporters of his help him escape prison.

Option 2: Stu has been presumed dead all these years but is secretly still alive, and somehow faked his death. With the condition he was in at the end of Scream 96, then only way this would be possible would be if someone (likely on the police force) helped him fake his death, swapped his “dead body” with some kind of other body, helped him recover or stay in hiding, get a new identity, etc. Why would anyone help him do this at that point and time, with the killings just having taken place? There was no Stab franchise yet, there were no crazy supporters of his yet, and no real reason why anyone would want or need to keep him alive. Where has he been all these years? Why wait for 25 years and multiple copycat murders to reveal himself? So this is definitely the more absurd “jump the shark” option.

Whichever way you swing it, this would be a pretty huge retcon and a tough pill to swallow for some fans. The Scream franchise has never been a hyper “realistic” franchise at the end of the day, but it also hasn’t been a crazy fantastical franchise either that brings people back from the dead (other than for one last scare). As cool as it would be for Matthew to return, it just has to make sense.

Maybe one film could have a Ghostface killer claiming to be Stu Macher, the characters start to believe that he may have somehow survived which leads to a mystery, but in the end, it turns out to be someone posing as Stu (F13 Part 5 style). I'm certainly down to see what this new team could come up with, but still apprehensive about it.

 

[BatLobster]

Regarding Stu being alive and appearing in a future sequel, I have mixed feelings. There is a huge obsession among Scream fans about this topic.

I absolutely love Stu and Matthew Lillard as a person. (It’s his birthday today – HBD!) I love his continued dedication and support for the Scream franchise up until now. You can tell he loves that he is a part of this and loves the fans. Of course I would love to see him return in some capacity, but I wrestle with the idea of how it could happen without feeling like a cop out or an even bigger retcon than other retcons in the series. There are really only two ways he could be “brought back”.

Option 1: Stu survived the ending of Scream 96 and has been in prison or on death row since then biding his time. Even though it’s unlikely he would have survived (he was already dying from the multiple stab wounds before getting straight up electrocuted), this is still technically the most logical and “realistic” way for him to return to the series in some form. However, there have been 4 additional Scream movies since then spanning two decades and there hasn’t been one peep or mention of Stu surviving and rotting in jail, including in the new movie (not counting the Youtube conspiracy thumbnail most people probably didn’t even see). Billy Loomis has still been a focal point throughout the franchise and mentioned frequently as being dead, especially in the new film. The new film even focuses on a character (Vince) related to Stu and the finale takes place at his old house, but still no mention of Stu being alive.

Looking at some of the complaints of Scream 3, for example, many people have issues with the fact that we retroactively learn that Sidney has a long lost brother than was never mentioned or hinted at in the previous films, and that Roman also inspired and advised Billy on how to kill Maureen Prescott. People have also complained about Scream 2022 presenting us with a Billy Loomis lovechild that was never mentioned or hinted at in any of the previous films. Things like this never bothered me, but wouldn’t people also find it strange to learn that Stu Macher has been alive and in prison all of this time because the writers decided it to be so? If this were to happen in a new film, he would either be orchestrating something from prison and/or some supporters of his help him escape prison.

Option 2: Stu has been presumed dead all these years but is secretly still alive, and somehow faked his death. With the condition he was in at the end of Scream 96, then only way this would be possible would be if someone (likely on the police force) helped him fake his death, swapped his “dead body” with some kind of other body, helped him recover or stay in hiding, get a new identity, etc. Why would anyone help him do this at that point and time, with the killings just having taken place? There was no Stab franchise yet, there were no crazy supporters of his yet, and no real reason why anyone would want or need to keep him alive. Where has he been all these years? Why wait for 25 years and multiple copycat murders to reveal himself? So this is definitely the more absurd “jump the shark” option.

Whichever way you swing it, this would be a pretty huge retcon and a tough pill to swallow for some fans. The Scream franchise has never been a hyper “realistic” franchise at the end of the day, but it also hasn’t been a crazy fantastical franchise either that brings people back from the dead (other than for one last scare). As cool as it would be for Matthew to return, it just has to make sense.

Maybe one film could have a Ghostface killer claiming to be Stu Macher, the characters start to believe that he may have somehow survived which leads to a mystery, but in the end, it turns out to be someone posing as Stu (F13 Part 5 style). I'm certainly down to see what this new team could come up with, but still apprehensive about it.

I think you've definitely summed up what makes this such an interesting debate....

It's really a question of tone. The Scream films are decidedly not supernatural. But, they also have lots of goofy stuff in them that completely eschew realism. Like...pretty sure

Spoiler

Sam would have to face some serious police questioning after leaving Richie's body with that many stab wounds and gun shots.

Not sure "self defense" would adequately explain that lol. It's funny to imagine what half the police reports would like after the 3rd act carnage of most of these films. Or just the fact that Sidney and Gale just show up at the house, complete with the intent to commit murder (the movie openly calls out how absurd this is), and then do so. It makes "horror movie sense", but I think this series is already pushing up really hard against believability to where I can't rule out a character we thought was dead actually surviving.

I think we can pretty safely rule out Option 1 with Stu being in prison, despite that being the original idea for Scream 3. Simply because the Easter Egg in the new film is the Youtube thumbnail speculating on whether he could have survived.

It's definitely a tough tight rope to walk without turning it into a 'jump the shark' moment, but there's something really alluring about the idea to me. I guess because Ghostface is (usually) at least metaphorically some type of ghost from the past that's come back to haunt the characters. Stu's return would be the ONE time in the franchise the metaphor could become literal, and I think that could make for something very creepy and unnerving if it was pulled off correctly. Of course it could also go horribly wrong.

I definitely think it would have to be some type of cover-up/conspiracy. Like his body would've already been gone somehow by the time the CSI team showed up. Or maybe he was in a coma, taken off in an ambulance, but never arrives at the hospital. He's pronounced dead by the Woodsboro police to avoid the sh**storm that would follow. I think the mystery of what happened to him would have to become a more important plot to unravel. It would be the type of thing that there'd be true crime podcasts about, or Youtube videos like we saw in the movie. And even that has a fun meta layer to it since it's something Scream fans have debated for years. I think if they fully explored it and realized that story led to some interesting places, and they had good answers for all the valid questions you raise, it shouldn't be ruled out. It's a retcon for sure, but we've seen worse retcons in movies. And the beauty of Scream is you could still do some fun meta-commentary about franchise retcons and it could poke fun of itself in the process.

 

[DyeLorean]

The franchise does keep turning into a giant snowball, it's only a matter of time it turns too big for its own good. It hasn't happened yet, but there's a risk of being too convoluted for sure. So far so good though.

 

[CaptainWagner]

Regarding Stu being alive and appearing in a future sequel, I have mixed feelings. There is a huge obsession among Scream fans about this topic.

I absolutely love Stu and Matthew Lillard as a person. (It’s his birthday today – HBD!) I love his continued dedication and support for the Scream franchise up until now. You can tell he loves that he is a part of this and loves the fans. Of course I would love to see him return in some capacity, but I wrestle with the idea of how it could happen without feeling like a cop out or an even bigger retcon than other retcons in the series. There are really only two ways he could be “brought back”.

Option 1: Stu survived the ending of Scream 96 and has been in prison or on death row since then biding his time. Even though it’s unlikely he would have survived (he was already dying from the multiple stab wounds before getting straight up electrocuted), this is still technically the most logical and “realistic” way for him to return to the series in some form. However, there have been 4 additional Scream movies since then spanning two decades and there hasn’t been one peep or mention of Stu surviving and rotting in jail, including in the new movie (not counting the Youtube conspiracy thumbnail most people probably didn’t even see). Billy Loomis has still been a focal point throughout the franchise and mentioned frequently as being dead, especially in the new film. The new film even focuses on a character (Vince) related to Stu and the finale takes place at his old house, but still no mention of Stu being alive.

Looking at some of the complaints of Scream 3, for example, many people have issues with the fact that we retroactively learn that Sidney has a long lost brother than was never mentioned or hinted at in the previous films, and that Roman also inspired and advised Billy on how to kill Maureen Prescott. People have also complained about Scream 2022 presenting us with a Billy Loomis lovechild that was never mentioned or hinted at in any of the previous films. Things like this never bothered me, but wouldn’t people also find it strange to learn that Stu Macher has been alive and in prison all of this time because the writers decided it to be so? If this were to happen in a new film, he would either be orchestrating something from prison and/or some supporters of his help him escape prison.

Option 2: Stu has been presumed dead all these years but is secretly still alive, and somehow faked his death. With the condition he was in at the end of Scream 96, then only way this would be possible would be if someone (likely on the police force) helped him fake his death, swapped his “dead body” with some kind of other body, helped him recover or stay in hiding, get a new identity, etc. Why would anyone help him do this at that point and time, with the killings just having taken place? There was no Stab franchise yet, there were no crazy supporters of his yet, and no real reason why anyone would want or need to keep him alive. Where has he been all these years? Why wait for 25 years and multiple copycat murders to reveal himself? So this is definitely the more absurd “jump the shark” option.

Whichever way you swing it, this would be a pretty huge retcon and a tough pill to swallow for some fans. The Scream franchise has never been a hyper “realistic” franchise at the end of the day, but it also hasn’t been a crazy fantastical franchise either that brings people back from the dead (other than for one last scare). As cool as it would be for Matthew to return, it just has to make sense.

Maybe one film could have a Ghostface killer claiming to be Stu Macher, the characters start to believe that he may have somehow survived which leads to a mystery, but in the end, it turns out to be someone posing as Stu (F13 Part 5 style). I'm certainly down to see what this new team could come up with, but still apprehensive about it.

Personally, I don't think an early escape works - Stu isn't the type of guy to lay low for 20 years and watch as his legacy is all-but blotted out by Billy.IMO, the best way to do it is to tie it into the issue with the way the original killings inspired so many massacres. We already have multiple people aspiring to the legacy of the dead killers, imagine how much worse it would be for one of the originals to be alive? So, from law enforcement's perspective, it's obviously in the best interest of the public safety that Stu is dead.

BUT what if he's not? He's left in a coma, badly burned, with no prospect of waking up. His family wants nothing to do with him, there can't be a trial, the cops are just stuck with a brain dead mass-killer. So they secret him away to a hospital, meant to peter out his days as a vegetable until he dies or they find a legal way to pull the plug. He fades from the narrative. Then, out of the blue, 7 years later in 2003, he wakes up. What's the FBI going to do? They've already seen two killing sprees inspired by the dude, likely even more attempted but not successful. The world's forgotten about him, he's off the grid and unrecognizable, so they stick him in a psych ward under a false name.

So Stu sits all these years, insisting that he's the real Ghostface, his claims dismissed by everyone around him. Until whatever happens to bring him back into play and give him a chance to reclaim the fame he believes belongs to him.

I feel like this is a fairly realistic scenario. It wouldn't be very hard for the FBI to make him disappear in the early days of digitalization. And it's already established in-universe that he's been largely forgotten by all but the survivors and the most devoted fans.

 

[BatLobster]

Personally, I don't think an early escape works - Stu isn't the type of guy to lay low for 20 years and watch as his legacy is all-but blotted out by Billy.IMO, the best way to do it is to tie it into the issue with the way the original killings inspired so many massacres. We already have multiple people aspiring to the legacy of the dead killers, imagine how much worse it would be for one of the originals to be alive? So, from law enforcement's perspective, it's obviously in the best interest of the public safety that Stu is dead.

BUT what if he's not? He's left in a coma, badly burned, with no prospect of waking up. His family wants nothing to do with him, there can't be a trial, the cops are just stuck with a brain dead mass-killer. So they secret him away to a hospital, meant to peter out his days as a vegetable until he dies or they find a legal way to pull the plug. He fades from the narrative. Then, out of the blue, 7 years later in 2003, he wakes up. What's the FBI going to do? They've already seen two killing sprees inspired by the dude, likely even more attempted but not successful. The world's forgotten about him, he's off the grid and unrecognizable, so they stick him in a psych ward under a false name.

So Stu sits all these years, insisting that he's the real Ghostface, his claims dismissed by everyone around him. Until whatever happens to bring him back into play and give him a chance to reclaim the fame he believes belongs to him.

I feel like this is a fairly realistic scenario. It wouldn't be very hard for the FBI to make him disappear in the early days of digitalization. And it's already established in-universe that he's been largely forgotten by all but the survivors and the most devoted fans.

I like it. I think it tracks!

 

[Jonwo]

It is weird that after watching Scream which was great BTW that I want to see a new Scary Movie with Anna Faris and Regina Hall returning? Enough time has passed plus there are a lot of new horror material that can be parodied.