Warning: Spoilers for Scream 2022.
More franchise stars appear in Scream 2022 than audiences probably realized – here’s every returning voice cameo and when they occur in the new film. The fifth entry in the meta slasher series boasts a large ensemble, with several legacy characters returning to join a new generation of victims. However, some actors from previous Scream movies also make brief vocal cameos in various scenes that viewers have likely missed.
Set 25 years after the original Woodsboro massacre in 1996, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) must return to her hometown when Ghostface attacks her sister, Tara (Jenna Ortega). The killer plans to unearth a secret from the town’s tragic past and begins targeting people connected to the original murderers, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) and Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard). Scream 2022 reunites beloved heroes Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Dewey Riley (David Arquette) and Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) to help Sam investigate the murder spree.
Scream 2022’s focus on the past means there are plenty of references to the original, notably the blood-splattered finale at Stu's house and a haunting appearance from Ulrich’s Billy in Sam's visions. However, in an interview with The Wrap, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and producer Chad Villella revealed there are numerous voice cameos from returning cast and crew, all culminating in a touching tribute to Wes Craven. There was even meant to be a bigger role for a returning Scream 4 character, but the idea was scrapped due to time constraints.
Drew Barrymore
Featuring in 1996’s Scream, Drew Barrymore’s Casey Becker was famously killed off in the iconic opening sequence. Despite her limited screen time, Barrymore became synonymous with the franchise and her death proved to the audience that nobody in the original Scream was safe. Barrymore returns in Scream 2022 in a very different role and can be heard near the film’s beginning. Per Gillett, “When we’re introing the high school scene and the kids are sitting at the picnic table, that principal announcement is Drew Barrymore.” Fittingly, Barrymore’s voice cameo occurs shortly after the opening, which sees Tara home alone and forced to answer Stab trivia before being brutally attacked by Ghostface - a clever homage to the original film.
Matthew Lillard
Unfortunately, Stu doesn’t return in Scream 2022, despite a cameo being teased. Instead, Ghostface victim Vince (Kyle Gallner) is revealed to be Stu’s nephew and, curiously, a YouTube video with the title “Did The Real-Life Stu Macher Survive?” is glimpsed on a laptop screen. The filmmakers clearly want viewers to keep asking this question, as does Lillard himself. The actor has repeatedly voiced his desire to return to the Scream franchise, claiming Stu isn’t dead. He was originally meant to be the mastermind in Scream 3, before heavy rewrites drastically altered the story. Lillard previously made an uncredited appearance as a sorority party guest in Scream 2, discreetly “passing the torch” to Timothy Olyphant’s Ghostface, Mickey. In Scream 2022, Lillard contributes a brief voice cameo as flamethrower Ghostface from Stab 8. Gillett confirmed to Bloody Disgusting that he also delivers a very meta line during Amber Freeman’s (Mikey Madison) party. The director revealed, “Matthew Lillard’s ADR is ‘Cool house Freeman’, which we thought was funny because it’s his house.”
Jamie Kennedy
Appearing in the first three Scream movies, Jamie Kennedy’s Randy Meeks was Woodsboro’s go-to film geek. He memorably proclaimed the rules one must follow to survive a horror movie during Stu’s party and suffered a gunshot, before once again helping the heroes find the killer in Scream 2. His death remains one of the franchise's most heartbreaking to date. Fortunately, it didn't stop Randy from explaining the rules for a trilogy via videotape in Scream 3, and the fifth installment continues to reference the character. In Scream 2022, Kennedy makes a fleeting voice cameo during the house party. After Richie (Jack Quaid) forces all the guests to leave, Kennedy says, “Someone’s goofy ass dad is kicking us out.” It’s an amusing cameo, especially since Randy's niece, Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown), and nephew, Chad (Mason Gooding), are also present at the party. Kennedy’s involvement feels even more apt as it follows a glimpse of Randy’s memorial and the very welcome return of his sister, Martha (Heather Matarazzo).
Hayden Panettiere Almost Had A Bigger Cameo
Horror fan Kirby Reed is a highlight of Scream 4, and her fate has finally been revealed over a decade later. After being stabbed by Charlie (Rory Culkin), Kirby was last seen falling to the ground, but no shot ever confirmed her death, sparking speculation among viewers. Although Panettiere doesn’t appear in Scream 2022, the movie confirms her survival. When Richie is catching up on the Stab franchise, a photo of Kirby briefly appears on a YouTube video titled “Interview With Woodsboro Survivor Kirby Reed”. This very much leaves the door open for Kirby to return in Scream 6, however, Panettiere was supposed to have a bigger cameo. Villella told The Wrap that the YouTube scene was “initially going to be a clip of Rian Johnson, talking about making Stab 8 with Woodsboro survivor Kirby”. This would have been a fun interaction and built on an earlier joke about fans’ real-life reaction to Johnson’s divisive Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Although the filmmakers “weren’t able to get all the pieces in place in time” to make this happen, they still wanted Panettiere to have a presence in Scream 2022, resulting in the Kirby photo and a touching voice cameo during the house party.
“To Wes” Tribute - Cast & Crew
Panettiere didn’t film any scenes for Scream 2022, but she did record ADR for its Wes Craven tribute. During Amber’s house party, Chad raises a toast to Wes Hicks (Dylan Minnette), who was murdered by Ghostface. This was the filmmakers’ way of honoring Craven’s legacy, and the chorus of voices heard is full of returning Scream actors. Some of the voices belong to the cast and crew of Scream 2022, but there are also cameos from Barrymore, Lillard and Kennedy. Henry Winkler, who played Principal Himbry in the original Scream, added his voice to the scene. Scream 4 is further represented by Adam Brody, who portrayed Detective Hoss. Several key figures from behind the camera also lent their voices to the toast; Kevin Williamson, who wrote the first, second and fourth movies and executive produces Scream 2022, is accompanied by original composer Marco Beltrami, editor Patrick Lussier, producer Julie Plec and Craven’s widow, Iya. What is already a perfect Wes Craven tribute is made even more poignant knowing so many people who cared for him were involved in this wonderfully meta scene.
The inclusion of voice cameos from Scream returning characters provides a great excuse for repeat viewings. It’s a clever way of bringing back actors whose characters died and it also bridges the old and new generations. Yet, the actors revealed to be in Scream 2022 are far from every star who has appeared in the franchise, leaving room for further cameos in a possible sixth movie. Incorporating the original Scream killers effectively connects the new movie to the 1996 masterpiece. Perhaps Lillard's wish will be granted and the next installment will see him return as Stu, hopefully, alongside Hayden Panettiere's Kirby.
