Scream 6

[Nardz937]

I don't see anyway they could write Stu being alive without having me go "BS". But I wish them luck pulling it off if that's the direction it goes in.

 

[CaptainWagner]

I am trying not to go full-unhinged Stu theorist... but I have SO many thoughts after this trailer about why I truly think he would be ideal to return in 7/Sidney's (maybe?) final film. To me it's beyond just wanting the nostalgia, I really think it makes the most story sense and would be such a clear full circle with all the legacy themes this new trilogy is obviously exploring. 5 dealt with legacy sequels and toxic fandom and to me it looks like 6 might be expanding on those ideas with true crime obsession and perhaps nostalgia worship. Walking through a museum of Scream props is very reminiscent of stuff like Ghostbusters Afterlife where every background prop is an Easter egg (and I love that movie, not knocking it for that-- just saying). But the thing about Scream is it always comments on the trope that it then goes ahead and indulges in.

Whether or not he actually comes back I do think he's an important figure in the new trilogy. We've already had a victim related to him, his name invoked in the opening call of 5 and the climax taking place at his house, plus theories that he secretly survived are now canon in-universe.

I feel like these new movies are creating some tension between who "owns" the Ghostface legacy-- Billy obviously gets the most attention, Stu was always the lapdog....but what if there's more to it than that? I feel like the whole thing with Tara forgetting about Stu in the opening call of 5 was a huge red flag. Stu's legacy has been kind of lost in Billy's shadow. That right there is a ripe story possibility in terms of motive. Look I'm not saying it needs to happen or it's the only direction that works but these are very fun things to ponder IMO. And no, Kevin Williamson's recent dismissive comment on it means nothing to me. He knows damn well the theories and that they are fanning those flames.

I know most of you disagree-- leave me alone and let me have my fun please . "I'M FEELIN' A LITTLE WOOZY HERE!"

Stu being upset about Billy being famous while he's forgotten would work perfecting with Sam being Billy's daughter. And, IMO, it would make sense in-world why people always forget about Stu despite being an original killer if he was intentionally downplayed in media coverage because he was in a coma and the cops/FBI didn't want people tracking him down, especially once Stab happened.

It definitely doesn't NEED to happen. But it could be cool. And Matthew Lillard needs more work.

 

[BatLobster]

Look, Scream is a series obsessed with genre rules. If you don't see a body, it's a given that a character can return. That's not just Scream that's genre fiction period, and this his horror we're talking about. Boba Fett crawled out of the Sarlacc Pit after 40 years of being dead and everyone accepted it. We're literally seeing that right now with Kirby in this movie. This series has also made it a rule that the killer needs to be shot in the head to be truly dead. Never happened to Stu. "Those are the rules!"

Kevin Williamson already confirmed he's dead. Frankly it would be a huge jump the shark moment if he returned. One of the OG killers has been alive for the last five movies and nobody mentioned it once. No thanks.

We've had variations of this discussion several times before, but I think you're not thinking of it the way it could potentially be done credibly and FUN. These movies are also not as serious and "real life" as people are acting like they are. But after case after case of creatives lying to protect their stories/not tip their hand I'm surprised people are so willing to just accept Williamson's words at face value.

The pitch isn't that he's just been alive the whole time and nobody mentioned it. The pitch is that he survived and it was covered up. This is what the Youtube Easter egg in Scream 5 was about. But why? Well, wouldn't that make for an interesting story to find out!? Stu's family clearly had money and could've had connections in Woodsboro. That's just one for-instance off the top of my head. I'm sure the screenwriter of ZODIAC could come up with something good. People have faked their deaths in real life. This is a very heightened-reality slasher series with a wicked sense of humor and willing to poke fun at itself.

I totally get and respect that some fans simply don't want it and fear it would be bad, that's fine-- I just feel it's something that we ought not to be so quick to dismiss when IMO there are several credible ways it could be handled. If not, I still hope to see Lillard return in some form. To me Billy's "ghost" in 5 was borderline more jump the shark than a true crime conspiracy storyline involving Stu's secret survival might be.

And I agree @CaptainWagner, it would just be great to see Lillard again in the series. Whether it's a flashback, "vision" or in the flesh I don't really care. But he's criminally underrated.

 

[antsman41]

Kevin Williamson already confirmed he's dead. Frankly it would be a huge jump the shark moment if he returned. One of the OG killers has been alive for the last five movies and nobody mentioned it once. No thanks.

Yeah... KW's word is true. Stu is dead, my friend.

A past victim becoming a killer is more logical and inventive for the series than 'bringing back Stu' any day.

Just found this on Scream/reddit.

 

[The Joker]

We've had variations of this discussion several times before, but I think you're not thinking of it the way it could potentially be done credibly and FUN. These movies are also not as serious and "real life" as people are acting like they are. But after case after case of creatives lying to protect their stories/not tip their hand I'm surprised people are so willing to just accept Williamson's words at face value.

The pitch isn't that he's just been alive the whole time and nobody mentioned it. The pitch is that he survived and it was covered up. This is what the Youtube Easter egg in Scream 5 was about. But why? Well, wouldn't that make for an interesting story to find out!? Stu's family clearly had money and could've had connections in Woodsboro. That's just one for-instance off the top of my head. I'm sure the screenwriter of ZODIAC could come up with something good. People have faked their deaths in real life. This is a very heightened-reality slasher series with a wicked sense of humor and willing to poke fun at itself.

I totally get and respect that some fans simply don't want it and fear it would be bad, that's fine-- I just feel it's something that we ought not to be so quick to dismiss when IMO there are several credible ways it could be handled. If not, I still hope to see Lillard return in some form. To me Billy's "ghost" in 5 was borderline more jump the shark than a true crime conspiracy storyline involving Stu's secret survival.

I'm not thinking about what could happen in real life. These are slasher movies. Its fantasy. I'm talking about why would they cover up Stu being alive. Especially if the prevailing tin foil hat theory is he has been in a coma for years.

It stands out like a sore thumb, especially after we've been through five more cases of Ghostface killings and the authorities never once mentioned that they could rule out Stu being involved because he is comatose. He's not Ted Bundy level famous. He's not even as famous as Billy in the Ghostface killings. I don't believe for a second Sid, Gale, or Dewey would not have been informed. Especially Sidney.

Btw I hated ghost Billy in Scream 5. It felt hokey and cheesy, and the de-aging of Ulrich was awful.

 

[DarkKnight88]

I wouldn’t like Stu’s return after all this time, but then again, I never thought I’d see the “ghost” of Billy with a de-aged Skeet Ulrich, so if they really wanted to bring back Stu, I’m sure they can “write” a way lol even a dead Stu.

 

[BatLobster]

Yeah... KW's word is true. Stu is dead, my friend.

A past victim becoming a killer is more logical and inventive for the series than 'bringing back Stu' any day.

A returning victim could be interesting. Who would be your top picks for a past victim to return? Are you thinking Kirby? One of the sisters? Or someone we actually thought was dead? And if someone we thought was dead-- why would it be okay to bring them back but not Stu, who is actual franchise royalty? Just curious. The two ideas don't have to be mutually exclusive btw. I'm talking more about 7, not necessarily 6. 7 needs something big and with a sense of full-circle to it in order warrant Sidney's return IMO. I am excited with all possibilities feeling on the table right now with 6 and I'm sure there will be surprises that we've yet to guess.

And I'm sorry ant but saying it's true because Kevin Williamson said so...c'mon. If that was the case...Benedict Cumberbatch wasn't playing Kahn, Marion Cotillard wasn't playing Talia al Ghul, Christoph Waltz wasn't playing Blofeld, Andrew Garfield wasn't in No Way Home...I mean we could go on for days with examples. To me a quick denial is no different than him giving a "no comment". No matter what he says he knows it will be dissected so it's just the smart way to go. If he went on to elaborate with why he thinks it wouldn't work and it's a step too far for the series, then I might back off more. Him using the story of Lillard being on set for Scream 2 was strange to call out when Stu being alive was the original pitch for Scream 3 and a much more real source of the theories.

I'm just saying...I think we Scream fans get too close and can't see the forest from the trees sometimes. My wife, a total casual, doesn't read Reddit or have any connection to fandom, just assumes Stu is coming back because it's just a vibe. And on a personal note I will say that she has an insanely good track record with predicting how stories will go, so as a rule of thumb I always bet with her prediction.

I'll shut up about it, but it's just frustrating to me to see fans starting to go draw lines in the sand of of "This will automatically suck if they do it, they absolutely CANNOT" OR (the equally flawed) "This HAS to happen or it will suck!" To me the whole Stu issue just perfectly encapsulates the fandom thing that the new movies are dealing with which is what makes the idea even more interesting to me. I am just trying to stay open-minded. Ultimately I want to be surprised too and I have faith in the filmmakers to deliver something fun and entertaining no matter which direction they go.

Exhibit A of Billy being treated like the "chosen one" of Ghostface lore. F that noise!

 

[CaptainWagner]

I'm not thinking about what could happen in real life. These are slasher movies. Its fantasy. I'm talking about why would they cover up Stu being alive. Especially if the prevailing tin foil hat theory is he has been in a coma for years.

It stands out like a sore thumb, especially after we've been through five more cases of Ghostface killings and the authorities never once mentioned that they could rule out Stu being involved because he is comatose. He's not Ted Bundy level famous. He's not even as famous as Billy in the Ghostface killings. I don't believe for a second Sid, Gale, or Dewey would not have been informed. Especially Sidney.

Btw I hated ghost Billy in Scream 5. It felt hokey and cheesy, and the de-aging of Ulrich was awful.

Stu gets wheeled out as a vegetable, expected to die. IMO it absolutely makes sense that they wouldn't immediately tell the survivors that one of their would-be killers was still holding on. And by the time the media circus picks up, it's easy to see why the cover-up would happen. The cops/feds don't want Gale to know, and they don't trust Dewey or Sydney not to tell her. So he gets shoved away into a hospital and is largely forgotten.

Cut some time in the future, and against all odds he wakes up. Now the Feds are screwed, because we've already had multiple copycats and the killings are a pop culture phenomenon. Revealing Stu's survival would be a disaster. So they shove him in an asylum where no one will believe he's "The Real Ghostface."

Personally, I don't think it's a stretch as far as believability is concerned. I don't care if it doesn't happen, I just think it could be fun from a narrative perspective - it would play well into the themes of legacy and society's fascination with these killers, add a fun conspiracy plot, as well as opening up several big genre tropes for satire that the franchise hasn't touched yet. And Stu vs. Billy's daughter just makes perfect sense for the climax of the new trilogy.

 

[BatLobster]

Stu gets wheeled out as a vegetable, expected to die. IMO it absolutely makes sense that they wouldn't immediately tell the survivors that one of their would-be killers was still holding on. And by the time the media circus picks up, it's easy to see why the cover-up would happen. The cops/feds don't want Gale to know, and they don't trust Dewey or Sydney not to tell her. So he gets shoved away into a hospital and is largely forgotten.

Cut some time in the future, and against all odds he wakes up. Now the Feds are screwed, because we've already had multiple copycats and the killings are a pop culture phenomenon. Revealing Stu's survival would be a disaster. So they shove him in an asylum where no one will believe he's "The Real Ghostface."

Personally, I don't think it's a stretch as far as believability is concerned. I don't care if it doesn't happen, I just think it could be fun from a narrative perspective - it would play well into the themes of legacy and society's fascination with these killers, add a fun conspiracy plot, as well as opening up several big genre tropes for satire that the franchise hasn't touched yet. And Stu vs. Billy's daughter just makes perfect sense for the climax of the new trilogy.

I'm totally on the same page. That is simply a movie that sounds fun and interesting to me. Like if I pretend it's not Scream and it's just a true crime story or a thriller about a serial killer thought dead that inspired a generation of copycats but is still alive, with a deep conspiracy behind it that even the authorities share some blame in...that's just a page-turner of a concept.

 

[antsman41]

A returning victim could be interesting. Who would be your top picks for a past victim to return?

Kirby in the grand scheme of what has been shown in S6REAM.

Always thought the aspect of Jill getting away with the murders from the of SCRE4M script was dope.

I never want Sid to turn, but Sam becoming Ghostface in SC7EAM would be rad. Always hoped Rey would go evil in Episode 9.

And I'm sorry ant but saying it's true because Kevin Williamson said so...c'mon.

Kevin is a part of this production as a "father figure" for these new directors/writers. He might not be able to organically create new concepts, but I definitely believe they let him in on their thoughts/concepts.

Therefore, if Kevin thinks Stu is dead. Vanderbilt and these Radio Silence team respect him and Wes' legacy. I truly believe they wouldn't have done the 'daughter of Billy' without Kevin's go-ahead.

Also, I think force ghostface Billy was decent - was it needed, no. But, we are 5 and 6 films deep. Billy was in Tara's head.

Yes, there was the whole knife nod thing... but in my mind Sam was subconsciously telling herself where the knife fell. This isn't some Yoda ****.

Sid having life like nightmares of her mom punching her window was worse, in my mind.

 

[The Shape]

Stu is definitely dead and it would be silly for him to suddenly be alive after all these years.

However, I do think there's a chance the movie might play up the StuAnon conspiracy and that some characters might believe or hope that he is alive.

 

[The Shape]

Sam's off screen therapist...suspect.

 

[DarkKnight88]

lol

How about Stu also had a long lost daughter, and she’s revealed only for the two daughters to fight each other along with their force ghost fathers.

 

[Pennywise]

 

[antsman41]

Sam's off screen therapist...suspect.

Can't trust him... he's even turning his back on Ethan Hunt soon.

 

[BatLobster]

Kirby in the grand scheme of what has been shown in S6REAM.

Always thought the aspect of Jill getting away with the murders from the of SCRE4M script was dope.

I never want Sid to turn, but Sam becoming Ghostface in SC7EAM would be rad. Always hoped Rey would go evil in Episode 9.



Kevin is a part of this production as a "father figure" for these new directors/writers. He might not be able to organically create new concepts, but I definitely believe they let him in on their thoughts/concepts.

Therefore, if Kevin thinks Stu is dead. Vanderbilt and these Radio Silence team respect him and Wes' legacy. I truly believe they wouldn't have done the 'daughter of Billy' without Kevin's go-ahead.

Kirby being the killer could be dope, though in my mind she's too pure of a character and I think many her fans would go fandom menace on the franchise if they did it lol. I'm open for all possibilities though. I can't wait to catch up with her character.

I think the idea of Sam snapping is great and there's great inherent tension with that idea based on how they set it up.

If Kevin was being honest then I totally agree. I don't think they would do anything radical that was against what he thinks. I am just saying...it's something he said to the press because it's a hot topic and people are bringing it up. If he knew there was any sort of plan to do something with Stu of course he's not going to spill the beans, that's just common sense. But I think IF that's in the cards it's part of a long game that the whole creative team is in on. It's not like he just randomly called up Collider to say "oh by the way Stu is totes dead." He was asked. He had to give AN answer. It's meaningless to me for now, but subject to change if he elaborates more on it.

Stu is definitely dead and it would be silly for him to suddenly be alive after all these years.
However, I do think there's a chance the movie might play up the StuAnon conspiracy and that some characters might believe or hope that he is alive.

It would be silly, but then again SCREAM is kind of silly and I mean that in the most loving way. Gale poking fun of "you're like the tenth guy to try this" epitomizes the inherent absurdity of the series. To me a copycat (of a copycat of a copycat times infinity) is no less silly than a fan favorite villain assumed dead returning after decades. Regardless I agree that there's fun to be had with making StuAnon a thing even if they choose to never cross that line.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

Speaking as someone who didn't care for the last two movies, that was a damn good trailer. I'll likely see it in theaters.

 

[antsman41]

It also just hit me how we're finally getting (relatively) the original Halloween II premise... killer chasing past victim in her apartment (dorm) building. These tight shots of ghostface in college dorms are rad...

...especially since all of the attacks in SCREAM 2 were in fancy frats, the theater (and sound/editing studio), or out in the open on campus.

Also noticed rewatching the trailer... there is a Last Podcast On The Left poster in one of the dorms.

 

[BatLobster]

The trailer was a home run. No way around it. The buzz is there.

 

[antsman41]

 

[Gothamsknight]

The trailer was a home run. No way around it. The buzz is there.

It really is a fantastic trailer. The whole movie feels like the directors have taken their leashes off from the last one and are gonna go crazy.

 

[Gothamsknight]

 

[Deck Rickard]

I have such mixed feelings about this movie. The trailer looks great, and after the one-two punch of X and Wednesday, I would watch Jenna Ortega in anything. She’s great. I’m also a big fan of Jasmin Savoy Brown and Samara Weaving. And it’s nice to see Hayden again.

BUT I really didn’t think the last film was very good, and a main reason for that was centering it on the bland Sam character. I don’t want to come down too hard on Melissa Berrara, but this is the second lead role she’s had in a major film where I found her character and performance to be “meh” at best. I also hated how Sidney Prescott was shoved to the side for most of that film (so much so that her appearance reminded me of Charlton Heston showing up at the very end of Beneath the Planet of the Apes). And then to hear that they tried to lowball her salary when making this film… it all just feels so ugly. The Scream series (at least the first four movies) wouldn’t have worked without her. But in typical Hollywood fashion, a woman over 40 can’t get a lead role or adequate pay.

Yet the trailer looks good. And I’m a fan of the series, even if the last two movies left a lot to be desired. I don’t know. I can’t decide if I’m rooting for this movie or against it.

 

[BatLobster]

I have such mixed feelings about this movie. The trailer looks great, and after the one-two punch of X and Wednesday, I would watch Jenna Ortega in anything. She’s great. I’m also a big fan of Jasmin Savoy Brown and Samara Weaving. And it’s nice to see Hayden again.

BUT I really didn’t think the last film was very good, and a main reason for that was centering it on the bland Sam character. I don’t want to come down too hard on Melissa Berrara, but this is the second lead role she’s had in a major film where I found her character and performance to be “meh” at best. I also hated how Sidney Prescott was shoved to the side for most of that film (so much so that her appearance reminded me of Charlton Heston showing up at the very end of Beneath the Planet of the Apes). And then to hear that they tried to lowball her salary when making this film… it all just feels so ugly. The Scream series (at least the first four movies) wouldn’t have worked without her. But in typical Hollywood fashion, a woman over 40 can’t get a lead role or adequate pay.

Yet the trailer looks good. And I’m a fan of the series, even if the last two movies left a lot to be desired. I don’t know. I can’t decide if I’m rooting for this movie or against it.

I think it’s best to make a clear distinction between stuff that is studio shenanigans and stuff that the filmmakers are responsible for. The filmmakers aren’t responsible for what the actors get paid, that is between the studio and the agents. I think what likely happened is Sidney had a small role in 6 and the studio didn’t want to give her bag she was asking for. It sucks but it is what it is. I think the franchise needs to prove that it can exist without her and this is the perfect opportunity for that. But I’m hopeful she will return in 7. For the legacy cast it feels like 5 was Dewey’s film, 6 will be Gale’s and that leaves 7 for Sidney to get more of a focus and possibly one last swan song. IMO all indications point to this being the case, I think Neve even hinted that she hasn’t ruled out returning. Just not in the cards this time.

If it’s a franchise you like I don’t think it ever makes sense to root against a movie. Studios doing crappy things behind the scenes sucks, but I think I’d find myself rooting “against” most movies if I was to hold that against the entire production.

I think regardless of how this film turns out, it’s gonna be a hit. Last film did well, Ortega is hot, and now you have a great trailer that’s being well-received. The test screenings have apparently went very well too. I think Scream is officially back in the zeitgeist and it makes me happy that Wes’ legacy is being carried on and celebrated by a new generation.

 

[Pennywise]