Scream 6 isn’t messing around with Ghostface: prepare for the “most aggressive and violent” iteration of the horror icon yet.
From the very first moment anyone sees that mask – whether it’s Drew Barrymore looking through the window in 1996’s Scream, Jada Pinkett Smith being slaughtered in her seat in Scream 2, or Lucy Hale living up to Stab’s namesake in Scream 4 – its reputation renews. There’s a reason it’s remained a Halloween mainstay for two-and-a-half decades.
Ghostface is unlike other big-screen slashers: it’s a mantle held by all genders, ages, and motives, from vengeful mothers to nasty fandoms; they’re always scrappy and capable of painful, often hilarious mishaps; and, especially compared to their supernatural relatives, they can be killed.
Yet, the legend lives. The first film introduced a killer who gutted babysitters and crushed teens, while the immediate two sequels lessened their brutality. Scream 4 indulged in violence, but this year’s Scream revival boasted a macabre mean streak.
Ghostface will be at their “most violent” in Scream 6
Jenna Ortega will reprise the role of Sam Carpenter for the sixth entry in the Scream franchise, with directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and screenwriters James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick also returning.
Sam is targeted by Ghostface in Scream 5’s opening, with the killer entering her home, stabbing her, and crumpling her ankle – however, they leave her alive.
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In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Ortega teased what to expect from Scream 6. “Ghostface gets a lot more intimidating,” she said.
“I just read part of the script, and it just gets more and more gory. I think that this is probably the most aggressive and violent version of Ghostface we’ve ever seen, which I think will really be fun to shoot.”
Hayden Panettiere returning for Scream 4
Hayden Panettiere made her debut in Scream 4, starring as horror obsessive Kirby. While the film seemed to indicate otherwise, she actually survived the “Woodsboro Massacre Remake” and is coming back for Scream 6. At the time, director Wes Craven described the actress as a “powerhouse,” and her return is eagerly anticipated by fans.
While pressed for clues and other tidbits, Ortega remained tight-lipped on Panettiere’s role. “I’m not even going to try to touch on it,” she said.
“She has been one of my favorite characters in the franchise for a long time so the fact that her character gets to come back and redeem herself is really exciting.”
Scream 6 is set for release on March 31, 2023.