Summary
Scream 7is gearing up to begin shooting sometime this year, with Gus Busick’s script already written, and Neve Campbell signed on to reprise her iconic role of Sidney Prescott, with the production on the lookout for newcomers to join the cast as Ghostface’s next victims. One of the key aspects of a Scream movie is the opening kill scene, which sets the precedent for the rest of the movie, andthe upcoming sequel needs to do something different that doesn’t involve a phone call from Ghostface.
Kevin Williamsonwill directScream 7, with Courteney Cox and Patrick Dempsey rumored to return as Gale Weathers and Mark Kincaid respectively. Fans are eager to find out who else will join the cast, with a special interest in who will be Ghostface’s first victim(s) in the opening sequence. Drew Barrymore famously played Casey Becker in the opening scene of the originalScream, and she was brutally killed by Ghostface after being taunted by him over the phone.
A phone call from Ghostface has featured in most opening sequences
When a phone rings in a Scream movie, it more often than not ends in a character being mercilessly killed byGhostface. The famous voice changer that masks the identity of the killer is voiced by Roger L. Jackson, and he has provided his dulcet tones to every Scream movie thus far, and he is likely to lend his voice again forScream 7as Ghostface embarks on more vindictive taunting over the phone with his future victims.
The first sounds the audience hears inScreamis the landline phone ringing, before Casey Becker answers, and is tested on her horror movie knowledge, in order to save her boyfriend Steven Orth’s life. It all proves to be in vain, as he is killed, followed by Casey’s brutal death while clinging on to the phone, before Ghostface hangs up.
Only Scream 2 has ditched the opening phone call so far
Scream 2chose to ditch the phone call altogether, as Maureen Evans (Jada Pinkett) and Phil Stevens (Omar Epps) were killed by Ghostface in a packed out movie theater on the opening night of the release of part one intheStab franchise, (the movie based on the events in Woodsboro, California the previous year). Maureen dies as the moviegoers watch Heather Graham’s Casey Becker stalked on the phone and killed in the movie.
Each Scream sequel thereafter has returned to the phone call in theopening kill sequence, with different variations of it keeping it relatively fresh, butScream 2’s dropping of the phone call arguably remains the strongest opening sequence out of all the sequels.Screamset the bar high with Casey Becker’s taunting over the phone, and it’s time the franchise accepted that this phone call will never be surpassed, and it’s time to do something different in the opening sequence ofScream 7.
Directed By
Kevin Williamson
Scream 7will see Ghostface stalk a new set of unfortunate victims, alongside the original final girl,Sidney Prescott, but it would be a good idea if the killer found new ways to stalk his prey, rather than call them up for a creepy chat, before killing them. Of course,Ghostface needs to call Sidney and utter that famous line ‘Hello Sidney’ at some point inScream 7, but the opening sequence should opt for a different form of stalking that doesn’t involve a phone call.
Technology has moved on significantly in the nearly thirty years since the firstScreamhit theaters, but Ghostface still insists on using a phone to primarily stalk his victims.Scream 7could see the iconic killer finally get a fake Facebook account, or maybe stalk his opening victim using their X feed or maybe even Instagram. Or he could use old school methods and attack his victim without warning, and embark on a much-needed chase scene inScream 7.
Kevin Williamson’s scrapped plansfor the opening sequence ofScream 4, was to have Sidney Prescott being stalked by the Ghostface killer, and in a plot twist, she was to survive and kill Ghostface and reveal his identity, only for the killer’s accomplice to hunt her down for the rest of the movie. A variation on this idea would work well forScream 7, and with Williamson on board to direct, there’s a possibilitySidney’s rumored storyhas found its way into Guy Busick’s script. Either way,an original introduction toScream 7’s Ghostface that doesn’t involve him uttering threats over the phone would be welcomed.
