The American slasher franchise, directed by Wes Craven (for the first four films), Tyler Gillett, and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin (for the fifth and upcoming sixth film), has been credited with reviving the slasher genre in the 1990s. The genre was considered dead back then due to the massive increase in straight-to-video films and the release of multiple film sequels to popular horror franchises from the previous decades. Scream, the latest entry in the franchise, was released at the beginning of 2022 as a “legacy sequel” that continues the story from where the previous film ended and fixed itself as a starting point for younger audiences. On February 3, 2022, Scream 6 was given the go-ahead following the success of Scream, and shortly after, it was announced that the film was slated to be released on March 31, 2023. It will be set in New York and follow the four survivors of the Ghostface killer as they start over after leaving Woodsboro. Previous cast members set to reprise their roles are Courtney Cox as Gale Weathers, Melissa Barrera as Sam Carpenter, Jenna Ortega as Tara Carpenter, Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin, and Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin. Hayden Panettiere will rejoin the cast as Kirby Reed, and Dermot Mulroney will be a new addition to the film in an unnamed role. Unfortunately, fans will be disappointed to learn that Neve Campbell will not reprise her role as Sidney Prescott. According to Neve, she couldn’t reach an agreement with Paramount Pictures about her contract, saying, “As a woman, I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream. I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise.” With the new change of release date for the Scream sequel, Paramount Pictures has also moved the release date of the highly anticipated tabletop role-playing game adaptation Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from March 3 to March 31, 2023.
