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- What happened during production to end up with only one killer?
- Who was originally going to be Roman Bridger’s partner in Scream 3?
- Should Scream 7 go back to the one killer format?
The Scream franchise has featured some legendary Ghostface killers over the years. Each movie usually has two killers who team up to commit the murders, but only one movie in the series has opted for a single killer. Scream 3 saw Sidney’s long-lost brother, Roman Bridger, single-handedly take on the Ghostface role, as he stalked and slashed the cast on the set of Stab 3: Return To Woodsboro in Holllywood.
There were a number of reasons why Scream 3 only had one killer, with the original plan to feature the typical two killer format, but there were issues during production which changed this initial plan. Scream 7’s format could potentially return to the one killer, but it must be believable to avoid certain issues faced by the solitary killer in Scream 3.
What happened during production to end up with only one killer?
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Scream 3 |
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Starring |
Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox-Arquette, Patrick Dempsey, Parker Posey, Emily Mortimer, Lance Henriksen and Liev Schreiber |
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Written By |
Ehren Kruger |
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Directed By |
Wes Craven |
It is well known that Scream 3 suffered a lot of difficulties during production, with Kevin Williamson’s initial treatment for the third movie being scrapped because of the similarities with the Columbine Massacre. Plans for Scream 3 were dealt a further blow when Williamson left the project due to his busy schedule, and Ehren Kruger took over as screenwriter.
If Williamson had stayed on, it’s possible the two killer format would’ve remained the same in Scream 3, as this served the first two movies very well. It was considered a difficult prospect to believe that one killer could commit all this carnage without an accomplice. Scream 3 had more murders than Scream and Scream 2, making it even more unbelievable that Roman Bridger committed the murders on his own. But it is firmly believed that Ehren Kruger’s initial plans for Scream 3 also didn’t include a lone killer.
Victims of Ghostface in Scream 3
- Christine Hamilton
- Cotton Weary
- Sarah Darling
- Steven Stone
- Tom Prinze
- Angelina Tyler
- Tyson Fox
- Jennifer Jolie
- John Milton
Who was originally going to be Roman Bridger’s partner in Scream 3?
Ehren Kruger’s Scream 3 original script had two killers, with Roman Bridger apparently having an accomplice in the shape of the actress portraying Sidney Prescott in Stab 3. Her name was Angelina Tyler (played by Emily Mortimer). Angelina was an ambitious actress and, in the original draft, she was also Roman’s lover, and was revealed to be a former classmate of Sidney’s from Woodsboro High, whose real name was Angie Crick.
Angie apparently idolized Neve Campbell’s Sidney, due to the amount of fame and attention she had received due to the Ghostface murders, and her motive was linked to this jealousy and need for fame. This motive is very similar to Jill Roberts’ motive in Scream 4, and it would’ve given Scream 3 a strong secondary motive to back up Roman’s motivation for revenge.
It’s not known why the second killer angle was scrapped in favor of the lone Ghostface killer, but many have speculated it had something to do with Dimension Films bosses, Harvey and Bob Weinstein’s interference. The choice to scrap the second killer affected Scream 3 massively as there are several moments in the movie where Roman would’ve needed to be in two places at once to kill all the victims, creating major plot holes in the movie.
Should Scream 7 go back to the one killer format?
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Scream 7 |
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Starring |
Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox (rumored), Patrick Dempsey (rumored) |
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Written By |
Guy Busick |
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Directed By |
Kevin Williamson |
Radio Silence significantly broke with the Ghostface format in Scream 6, and it resulted in one of the most successful sequels in the franchise. The opening sequence shocked fans when Laura Crane (Samara Weaving) was killed by Ghostface, who then unmasked himself as Jason Carvey, a student on Laura’s film studies course. Turns out, Jason was trying to finish Scream (2022) killer, Ritchie Kirsch’s movie, alongside his accomplice, Greg Bruckner.
Unbeknownst to Jason and Greg, there was another group of active Ghostface killers who were less than pleased with their plan, as it interfered with their own plan for revenge on Sam Carpenter. Jason and Greg were killed, and the eventual killers were revealed to be Detective Bailey, Quinn Bailey and Ethan Landry (aka Ritchie’s father, sister and brother).
For the first time in the franchise, there were four killers who donned the Ghostface mask in Scream 6 (Greg was killed before he could wear the mask). Breaking the usual format of two killers really worked for Scream 6, and it could pave the way for another change in format for the upcoming Scream 7. But instead of returning to two killers like previous sequels, Scream 7 should take inspiration from Scream 3‘s one killer, Roman Bridger, and focus on a solitary Ghostface attack.
Scream 7 having one killer could really work to revitalize the Scream franchise, but they must learn from Scream 3‘s mistakes, and map out a feasible plan for how a lone Ghostface is able to commit all the murders, rather than change from two killers to one like Scream 3 did during extensive rewrites.
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