Highlights
- As Neve Campbell returns as Sidney Prescott in Scream 7, fans debate whether it should be a full reboot or continue the legacy characters.
- Scream 7 should introduce new characters and a killer unconnected to the past to freshen up the franchise and avoid repeating old plotlines.
- Fans are split on whether Scream 7 should focus on Sidney or new characters, with some suggesting new perspectives for the next installment.
In November 2023, Variety published an article called “Scream 7 Faces Creative Reboot” after news that Jenna Ortega left the Scream franchise, along with Melissa Barrera. With the exciting Scream 7 updates that Neve Campbell will play Sidney Prescott and Kevin Williamson will direct, fans are curious about whether the new movie will have a brand new plotline… or if it will feature legacy characters and mostly tell a story about Sidney and her family.
With no official release date or cast news about Scream 7, slasher fans have had a lot of time to debate what the storyline should be and who should come back. One of the biggest questions is if Scream 7 will be a reboot. There are several reasons why the franchise needs to start fresh.
Scream 7 Should Be A Full Reboot Of The Horror Franchise
Fans are debating whether Scream 7 will feel like a full reboot and a brand new story or too much like the six movies that came before it. It’s true that Scream 7 will feel comforting, nostalgic, and familiar on some level because Campbell is playing her famous final girl Sidney Prescott. However, Scream 7 should be a reboot for a few reasons.
One main reason? While Scream (2022) attempted to reboot the franchise and provide a meta take on what a horror reboot is, many fans would say that it failed in that regard. While Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) is a strong and well-drawn character, her discussion of the horror genre didn’t match her late uncle Randy’s (Jamie Kennedy). Randy’s horror movie rules are clever and memorable, but Mindy’s speech was forgettable and felt shoehorned in. Whether or not Scream 7 will break the franchise’s rules and drop the meta aspect, Scream 7 should introduce new characters along with a killer who isn’t connected to the past.
Now that Neve Campbell and Kevin Williamson are returning for Scream 7, the franchise has a chance to make up for some awkward moments, like making Blly Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) sympathetic and featuring his ghost in several scenes. Creating fascinating, intelligent, and fun new characters with a new Ghostface is one way to make up for these mistakes.
Another reason why Scream 7 should be a reboot is horror movie fans are savvy and Scream fans in particular are perceptive. Ever since the original film was released in 1996, audiences have been picking apart every Ghostface killer’s motive and wondering who will be killed next. With so many passionate and intelligent fans waiting for Scream 7, it doesn’t make sense to tell a story that feels like it has been done before.
Finally, Scream (2022) and Scream 6 told a complete story about sisters Sam and Tara. Since the actors aren’t returning, there is no reason why Scream 7 can’t start fresh. It’s definitely possible to make Scream 7 an official reboot while still telling a compelling tale about Sidney… and hopefully without killing Sidney off.
Do Fans Want Scream 7 To Be A Reboot?
Several months ago, a Scream fan asked on Reddit what audiences hope will be included in Scream 7 “now that it’s rumored Scream 7 will be yet ANOTHER franchise reboot.” Fans have smart theories about Ghostface and asked similar questions in a few different SubReddits, and audiences are split on whether Scream 7 should focus more on Sidney or on new characters.
Redditor @Gumpetygump suggested that the next movie could be completely different. They wrote:
“A movie from the perspective of the killer where they are trying to keep them being the killer a secret.
Saw X
recently did the antagonist as the main character thing and it worked well so I think it could work for
Scream
.”
Redditor @Fandam_YT thinks that Matthew Lillard should return and suggested:
“Do what
Scream 3
was supposed to originally. Have Stu (Matthew Lillard) organising the Ghostface killings, or better yet have him be Ghostface. They’ve kinda already set it up perfectly with
Scream 6
’s mentions that he may still be alive, as well as the fact that everyone in
Scream 5
kept talking about how ‘Billy was the original Ghostface.'”
They continued:
“Stu can return with a chip on his shoulder that everyone else profited from the Woodsboro murders besides him.”
Several months back, Matthew Lillard spoke about Scream 7 and said he wasn’t certain that he could come back. Whether or not that happens, it seems that fans of the slasher franchise are ready for anything and would be happy to see an exciting new storyline.
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