The character posters for Scream 2022 are teasing the perfect Ghostface twist that could successfully revitalize the slasher series. The late Wes Craven directed the first four Scream movies, with each installment containing a killer twist that ensures the heroes can never fully trust anyone around them. Scream 2022 sees the return of beloved legacy characters but the posters imply this killer’s identity could be incredibly close to home.
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett direct Scream 2022, with original screenwriter Kevin Williamson serving as executive producer. Set 25 years after the first Woodsboro massacre, a new Ghostface emerges to stalk the next generation of victims, led by Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera). Original hero Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) returns to Woodsboro to help solve the killings, alongside fellow survivors Dewey Riley (David Arquette) and Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox).
The marketing for Scream 2022 has successfully kept most plot details hidden, but it's known the new Ghostface has a connection to the original murders and promises to reveal a secret from Woodsboro’s tragic past. Scream 2022’s posters successfully continue this theme, with each of the original trio shown holding the iconic Ghostface mask. It’s possible one of them could be the killer, but this would be difficult to justify. Instead, the posters are teasing the perfect Ghostface twist that the killer will be very familiar to both these characters and the audience.
Sidney has been the primary target of four separate massacres, which is more than enough to irreparably damage anyone’s psyche. Previous Ghostface killers have manipulated her into mistrusting others, leading to the death of her boyfriend, Derek (Jerry O’Connell), in Scream 2. However, she’s incredibly resilient, and Scream 2022 hints Sidney has a family, making it especially unlikely she would be the killer. Dewey and Gale might be divorced, with the latter reportedly hosting a morning talk show, but it’s extremely unlikely either of them would be responsible. It’s not out of the realm of possibility for this to be the Ghostface twist, and Gale previously sought fame from the killings, but it would be a huge gamble that could risk damaging the movies’ legacy. It’s far more likely the killer is someone from their own past, indicated by the Scream 2022 posters’ tagline “It’s always someone you know.” This could simply refer to the younger ensemble they encounter, but the emphasis on legacy characters strongly suggests otherwise.
Scream 2022 is overtly teasing a pivotal connection between Ghostface the original heroes, supporting theories about the possible return of a character from the first film. Matthew Lillard believes Stu Macher is alive and was originally intended to be the killer in Scream 3, before heavy rewrites. Scream 2022 will return to Stu’s house, and his presence would make for an impactful Ghostface twist. His partner and the original mastermind, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), is obviously dead, but this doesn’t mean his legacy won’t factor into the story, potentially appearing via flashback. There’s also the opportunity for the Ghostface twist to be connected to Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy). Scream 2022 features two young characters with the surname Meeks-Martin, likely the children of Randy’s sister, Martha (Heather Matarazzo), and so the late film geek’s influence will surely be felt on the plot. However, it also can’t be assumed that a returning character from Scream 4 is completely innocent.
The connection between the Scream legacy character Sheriff Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton) and the original trio could be exploited, even if it’s more likely Judy will be killed. Whoever is behind the mask, the best outcome would be a killer with a strong connection to both new and returning characters, enabling the franchise to move forward. Scream 2022’s posters are foreshadowing a huge Ghostface twist, and it feels necessary for the slasher to truly earn its existence.
