Scream 6 released a brand new trailer that takes the nightmare of Ghostface to New York City.
The Scream franchise has a long, storied history. It is one of the pillars of the slasher subgenre. Screenwriter Kevin Williamson created the story, writing Scream, Scream 2, and Scream 4. The first film, Scream, directed by Wes Craven was released in 1995. It was a culmination of all that had come before, playing on the tropes of the genre while homaging franchises like Nightmare On Elm Street.
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The story revolved around Sidney Prescott, played by Neve Campbell, as her life in the fictional town of Woodsboro was terrorized by a masked serial killer known as Ghostface. The film was met with rave reviews and impressive box office returns, prompting multiple movie sequels and two TV show adaptations. The most recent installment was Scream 5, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.
The directing duo picked up the torch from Wes Craven, who had directed the first 4 Scream films before passing away in 2015. Guy Busick and Jay Vanderbilt wrote Scream 5 and are returning as writers for the upcoming Scream 6.
SCREAM 6 OFFICIAL TRAILER
The trailer for Scream 6 is effective if a bit inelegant. It’s short, running for just one minute. The simple, terrifying premise of Ghostface tracking the survivors to New York on Halloween is put on display, and nothing else is revealed. There is no tease of who the new killer is, no looks at the new characters played by Tony Revolori or Samara Weaving, and no shots outside of the subway sequence are shown.
On the one hand, I appreciate Scream 6 for keeping this trailer minimalistic, as that might preserve more of the magic for opening weekend. Then again, a second trailer or TV spot could undo some of the secrecy woven into this first promo. The first look is also an underwhelming refresher on who the heroes are this time.
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There’s Sam Carpenter, the illegitimate daughter of Billy Loomis, and her sister Tara. Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin were also lucky enough to survive Ghostface’s slaughter last time, but things aren’t looking up for the siblings in Scream 6. The most notable character absent from the trailer is Sidney Prescott.
SCREAM 6 WON’T FEATURE SIDNEY PRESCOTT FOR THE WORST REASON
Sidney Prescott appeared in every Scream movie to date, but she will not be appearing in Scream 6.
According to Neve Campbell, the pay she was offered for Scream 6 was dissatisfying and discriminatory. The upcoming film is produced by Spyglass Media Group and distributed by Paramount Pictures.
“Sadly I won’t be making the next Scream film,”…[If I] were a man and had done five installments of a huge blockbuster franchise over 25 years…In my soul, I just couldn’t do that. I couldn’t walk on set feeling undervalued and feeling the unfairness, or lack of fairness, around that…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.”
Neve Campbell
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Sidney Prescott is the lifeblood of the Scream film franchise. She has had a significant role in every movie so far, and Scream 6 is ending that streak over apparently sexist pay disagreements. That’s one of the most disappointing and upsetting behind-the-scenes developments in slasher history. Our hearts go out to Neve Campbell, who can be seen in The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix and the upcoming Peacock TV series Twisted Metal.
HOW DOES SCREAM 6 ADDRESS SIDNEY PRESCOTT IN HER ABSENCE?
To have Sidney removed from the franchise over simple misogyny is a slap in the face to the actor who plays her and to the fans. Jenna Ortega, who plays Tara Carpenter in Scream 5 and Scream 6, had this to say about Sidney and Neve’s departure.
“There’s references to Sidney, of course. It’s nice because there’s still a protectiveness in the script and that’s something that the actors had naturally over her because obviously we respect her and we want the best for her. She’s missed and thought of…I will say there’s so much going on in this next one, that it’s so action-heavy and so gore-heavy that I think you’re going to be distracted almost.” -Jenna Ortega
Ortega clearly has a lot of love and passion for her former co-star and the iconic character of Sidney Prescott. And no one can blame Jenna Ortega for trying to make the best out of a bad situation. On top of that, the promise of a gorey, action-packed Scream 6 is tantalizing. But if that sweet, sweet brutality is even partially designed to make us forget the awful reasons why Sidney isn’t around, fans have every right to be upset with the new movie.
Scream 6 released its first trailer recently. While the promise of a violent new nightmare set in the greatest city on earth is exciting, it’s hard to ignore how apparent sexism has tainted the project, and therefore the trailer.
What did you think of the trailer for Scream 6? Can the slasher film franchise survive without Sidney Prescott, and more importantly, should it, given the circumstance?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media!
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