Sophia Michaels
In 2022, the horror franchise “Scream” was reinvigorated with the release of “Scream 5,” directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett of production company Radio Silence. The duo have expressed their love and loyalty to the Scream franchise, so while the new Scream films explore new aspects of the horror genre, they still have plenty of connections to the original films. Officially, the movie was simply titled “Scream,” making it unclear if it was a reboot or a sequel. However, with the release of “Scream 6” in 2023, it is now obvious that this is part of a longer horror lineage. This series of movies is classified as a legacy sequel, which is a continuation of a franchise made a decade or more later that keeps the legacy of the original characters but brings in new characters and pays tribute to key elements.
The original cast from the first 1996 “Scream” returns for “Scream 5” and “Scream 6,” including Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, and Skeet Ulrich. Additionally, Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown) are the nephew and niece of Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy), Wes Hicks (Dylan Minnette) is the son of Deputy Judy Hicks (Marley Hicks), and Hayden Panettiere returns as Kirby Reed from “Scream 4.” Melissa Barrera’s Sam Carpenter is also revealed to be the secret daughter of Billy Loomis.
The new Scream movies also pay homage to its Stab counterpart by adding references to all the meta movies, plus the “newest,” “Stab 8.” Directed by Rian Johnson, “Stab 8” is derided by fans. The iconic “Scream” party house where Sidney comes face to face with her Ghostface tormentors for the first time is also featured in “Scream 5,” and “Scream 6” moves the action to New York.
