Entering the Discourse is a thrice-weekly column where we dig into who is saying what about new releases and upcoming projects. Today, we discuss Scream 5 and a few of our favorite fan theories.
Wes Craven’s Scream is a horror classic. The 1996 movie appeals to even casual fans of the genre with its meta-commentary, dashes of comedy, and one hell of a Final Girl. After three sequels and a series on MTV, the franchise is still going strong after twenty-five years. Scream 5 — simply titled Scream — is hitting theaters in January 2022! Fans have been grabbing onto any scrap of news they can get about casting, story points, and more. And their hunger for news has been satiated for just a moment.
Just last week, Scream’s sound designer, Greg Russell, posted a series of images on Instagram as he and his team finished the final audio mix. Among the behind-the-scenes photos — since-deleted — was the first look at the franchise’s iconic killer, Ghostface. The mask saw quite the transformation in the Scream television show. But it’s back to its original form: giant exaggerated black eyes and mouth with a stark white face.
Co-director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin also posted a photo of himself in the studio confirming that production had wrapped.
What we do know about Scream 5
Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who made the 2019 horror hit Ready Or Not, are following in the footsteps of the legendary Wes Craven as the first to take on the franchise after Craven’s death. Many plot details are still unknown, but Ghostface will be wreaking havoc on both new and old characters, guaranteed.
Returning cast members include original players David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and Roger L. Jackson (the voice of Ghostface), and Marley Shelton (from Scream 4). The fresh blood includes Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Dylan Minnette, Mikey Madison, Sonia Ben Ammar, and Kyle Gallner.
With the movie’s release on the horizon, the theories have been flowing. Fans are speculating as to who the killer is and who that killer will kill. There are even some predictions about original characters who’ve faked their own death. Here are a few of our favorite theories about Scream 5 so far:
Theory #1: Sidney Prescott gets killed in the cold open
Scream has always been subversive, and what’s more subversive than killing off a legendary Final Girl like Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) in the sequel’s opening? The theory has divided fans. Some people are excited about the idea of such a shake-up. Others believe it would be insulting to the history of the franchise. The idea feels impossible that Sidney could face such a quick death, but never say never with a Scream movie.
Theory #2: Sidney Prescott is Scream 5’s killer
On the flip side of the coin, Sidney could be the new killer. Fans are theorizing she finally becomes the monster she’s been running from all this time. With Scream’s track record, anyone could be the killer, so Sidney is by no means out of the question. It would be fascinating to see a Final Girl come full circle from survivor to killer.
Theory #3: Dewey is the mastermind
Dewey (David Arquette) is the franchise’s sweet, wholesome character who wouldn’t hurt a fly — unless they were wearing a mask and murdering the residents of Woodsboro. His kind demeanor makes the idea he’s been orchestrating all this violence all these years all the more enticing.
Theory #4: Randy faked his own death and is the Scream 5 killer
Randy (Jamie Kennedy) was the horror-movie-loving nerd in the original. He was constantly explaining how horror movies work, who plays what role, and how everything is going to end. While he does survive the murders of the original Scream, he doesn’t survive Scream 2. But fans don’t buy that, and Kennedy co-signed the theory in a tweet in 2019. While this hasn’t been confirmed by Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett, they haven’t denied it either!
Theory #5: Stu is alive
This one is my favorite solely because I want to see Matthew Lillard back in a Scream film. He and Skeet Ulrich played Stu and Billy Loomis, respectively, the murderous duo that terrorized Woodsboro in the first film. Stu was stabbed and supposedly succumbed to his injuries in the movie. But fans aren’t counting out an onscreen appearance. He was reportedly meant to be the villain of Scream 3, escaping from prison and enacting revenge on Sidney. Perhaps he and Billy somehow reunite to get revenge on the woman who stopped them in their tracks.
Scream opens on January 14, 2022.
