Warning: SPOILERS liea head for Scream 6!
The directors of Scream 6 are explaining why certain characters were not killed. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett returned after helming 2022’s Scream, the first entry in the ongoing franchise without Wes Craven’s involvement. Following the events of that film, and the death of Dewey Riley (David Arquette), the latest installment tracks its survivors as they venture from Woodsboro to New York City, and find themselves at the center of yet another string of Ghostface murders.
With a notable increase in violence, Scream 6 featured some memorable deaths, but Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are revealing why major characters were not killed this time around, despite Gale (Courteney Cox), Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown), and others were attacked by Ghostface. Speaking with Fangoria, the directors shared that the movie was meant to "feel really good and cathartic," and explained that the ending would not have worked if a death similar to Dewey's occurred. Read Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett's comments regarding Scream 6's deaths below:
Gillett: I think we talked about it, because we always do, we did with the last one too of like, 'Do we need to kill more people?' I think every time we thought about it for a second, it just felt callous, it weirdly felt like it was reaching outside of what the movie was aiming to do, which I think in our minds was to feel really good and cathartic at the end. I think to also be a twist on itself, just the expectation of like 'Franchise! Bigger bloodbath, bigger body count,' Mindy says all of those things, and we’re like, 'No, it doesn’t have to be that.' The idea that it can challenge itself is really fun to us.
Bettinelli-Olpin: I also think in the last one with Dewey’s death, it’s so hard, and it’s supposed to be hard, and then the movie has to deal with that for the next 15-20 minutes. In a very real way, we need to slow the movie down, everybody needs to handle this, and I think with this movie, by design, it’s sort of out of a shotgun goes to the end, so there’s also this part where we wouldn’t want to do a disservice and kill characters and then just move on. I think one of the things we really liked about Scream 5 was that it actually did take the time — while it was really hard to kill Dewey — to see how that affected Gale, how it affected Sid.
Will Scream Kill Off Another Main Character?
Characters like Dewey, Gale, and Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) have been considered mainstays in the slasher franchise, appearing in nearly every installment. That is part of what made Dewey's fate in 2022's Scream so surprising, with his death at the hands of Ghostface leading to a lot of emotional reactions. The directors previously revealed that they did not regret killing Dewey, though, noting that it affected other characters' arcs and was necessary to establish different stories in the future.
Although new faces to the franchise, including Mindy, Chad (Mason Gooding), Sam (Melissa Barrera), and Tara (Jenna Ortega) survived the latest entry, their deaths are still possible down the line. It is worth remembering that another recurring character, Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy), was killed in Scream 2, despite making it through the first film. With Gale and Sidney both alive as well, it will be interesting to see how their stories eventually conclude.
While killing off another main character would be a surprising move, the franchise has shown the ability to sustain its success without them. Since Scream 6 ended on a positive note, a bigger death does seem possible for the next installment. Those still recovering from the movie's recent events and near-death experiences will likely be eagerly awaiting Scream 7 to find out.
Source: Fangoria