Warning: This article contains spoilers for Scream (2022).
A secret returning cast member from the original Scream movie has shared a set photo following his return in the latest film in the franchise, Scream (2022). The film features the return of a number of original cast members from the 1996 horror slasher film. Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courteney Cox reprise their roles alongside a new generation of characters with ties to the franchise.
Introduced in Wes Craven's now-iconic 1996 slasher horror, Billy Loomis and Stu Maher worked together to carry out the Ghostface killings, portrayed by Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard, respectively. Motivated by revenge for Sidney's (Campbell) mother's affair with his father that ultimately pushed his own mother away, Billy planned out a movie-inspired plot to kill Sidney and frame her father for their spree. Despite their plotting, both Billy and Stu are killed, with Sidney shooting Billy herself. With a new cast and killer who is targeting those close to individuals related to the first Ghostface killers, many wondered if their ties to the past would result in any familiar faces returning. Following Scream's release in theaters, one of the film's most carefully hidden returning cast members has offered fans a glimpse behind the scenes of his appearance.
Posting to his personal Instagram account, Ulrich shared a pair of images of his surprise return as the long-deceased Billy Loomis from production on Scream 2022. Appearing throughout the film as an apparition to his secret child, Sam Carpenter (Marissa Barrera), Ulrich's first photo features both stars on set between filming, while the second photo features the pair alongside producers Chad Villella and William Sherak, as well as directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. Ulrich also wrote about the latest installment's box-office success alongside his photos. Check out Ulrich's post below:
Click here to view Ulrich's original post.
With Stu's home featuring in promotional material and early on-set videos, fans immediately picked up on the return to the location of the first film's final act and began to speculate how the two original killers could be resurrected for the latest installment. Both Ulrich and Lillard had expressed interest in returning to the franchise despite Billy and Stu's fate, joking about how they survived their fatal wounds and urging fans to campaign for their return ahead of the original film's 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release for its 25th anniversary. The cast of the original film weren't the only returning faces from earlier films in the franchise, as Scream 4's Mary Shelton reprised her role of Judy Hicks, while Hayden Panettiere's Kirby Reed is featured in a cameo.
While Billy remained dead in Scream (2022), his return through his daughter Sam's conflict was a smart way to bring back a fan favorite in an effective role. Though Stu couldn't return alongside him, much of what made the original film so unique and groundbreaking upon release can be attributed to him and Billy, as the pair's plot inspired by horror films that came before allowed Scream to reflect on the genre while setting itself apart from other slashers. Ulrich and Billy's return allowed the fifth installment to once more play with expectations audiences might have of their family ties, once more reminding fans what makes the franchise so unique.
Source: Skeet Ulrich