Scream star Melissa Barrera has shared that there was a "big sigh of relief" among the new cast after they met Neve Campbell for the first time and she said that they reminded her of the original cast. The fifth installment of the classic horror franchise, Scream, is set for release next year and will see Campbell return as final girl Sidney Prescott as she attempts to take down a new-age Ghostface killer. Following her first appearance as the Woodsboro resident in 1996, Campbell has played Prescott in each subsequent film up to 2011's Scream 4. The 2022 release will also see the return of Courteney Cox as news reporter, Gale Weathers, and David Arquette as Sheriff Dewey Riley.
Alongside these legacy characters, the town of Woodsboro is set to play host to a number of new faces. After Barrera's breakout performance in this year's In The Heights, the 31-year old will take on one of the film's lead roles as Sam Carpenter. Little is known is about Sam's character, however, the official trailer for the film appeared to tease a potentially gory fate for her sister, Tara (played by You's Jenna Ortega) with Prescott and Weathers then approaching Sam to enlist her help in taking down Ghostface once and for all. Barrera will star alongside a supporting cast that includes the likes of Jack Quaid, Dylan Minnette, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sonia Ammar, Mikey Madison, Mason Gooding, and Kyle Gallner.
Now, Barrera has revealed that the new cast were able to breathe a "big sigh of relief" when they first met Campbell, as she paid them all a huge compliment. Speaking to ET, the star revealed that Woodsboro's newest residents actually sat down with Campbell to have dinner, presumably prior to shooting, and shared that Campbell was "amazing." Barrera went on to say that the Scream alum told the new cast that they seemed the "most like the original cast" from the original 1996 film. Check out Barrera's full quote below.
"The amazing Neve Campbell said about our cast, when we all kind of met together for the first time and had dinner, was that this cast seemed most like the original cast from the first film. Which that to us was such a big sigh of relief."
Scream's legacy actors have consistently made their appreciation for this new cast known, with a recent video even showing Campbell, Cox, and Arquette praising them for their enthusiasm and complimenting them as actors. Arquette even shared that it was exciting to see the new perspective that these fresh faces bring to the franchise, as Scream celebrates the 25th anniversary of its initial release this year. Scream 2022's director, Tyler Gillett, even recently teased that there could be a lot more to come from these new characters, hinting at the possibility at some future spin-offs following the events of this fifth installment.
Given the iconic nature of Campbell's role within the horror genre, it's fair to say that joining the franchise that she originated would likely be an incredibly nerve-wracking experience for most actors. Barrera's admiration for her new co-star is certainly evident and it's sweet to hear that Campbell has given her and her fellow co-stars her official stamp of approval. So far the film's promotional run has leaned heavily on the idea that nobody is safe and that everyone is suspect and as for what the future holds for Barrera and Campbell's characters, that remains to be seen when Scream releases in theatres on January 14.
Source: ET
