How Scream 6’s Ghostface Makes Slasher Sequel A Wild Ride

Directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin explain how the new Ghostface in Scream 6 makes the sequel a wild ride from start to finish.

Scream 6 directors Tyler Gillet and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin explain how their bold new Ghostface makes the upcoming sequel a wild ride. After the first installment back in 1996 and three subsequent sequels, the franchise returned in a big way with 2022’s Scream. The movie served as a legacy sequel, featuring classic characters like Sidney (Neve Campbell), Gale (Courteney Cox), and Dewey (David Arquette) alongside a host of new ones played by Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barerra, Jasmin Savoy-Brown, and Mason Gooding. These characters, with a few notable exceptions, are set to return in Scream 6, which takes the action to New York City as a new Ghostface wreaks havoc.

In a recent interview with Total Film (via GamesRadar), Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin tease that the new Ghostface in Scream 6 is very different from how the killer was portrayed in their previous installment. Because the new Ghostface is much “bolder“, the directors say that the movie moves at a much faster pace, with no time for audiences to catch their breath. Check out Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin’s full comments below:

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin: “We wanted to make this really different, while still having all the stuff you love. Having a bolder, more brazen Ghostface was a big part of that.”

Tyler Gillett: ”It really moves like it’s on rocket fuel. You sit down, it starts, and the movie is just a ride. You get off two hours later, and you feel like you haven’t taken a breath.”

Related: Scream 6 Theory: Kirby Is Taking Sidney’s Role From The Original Script

How This Ghostface Can Be Different

While the Ghostface(s) featured in 2022’s Scream was certainly a lethal enemy, as was made abundantly clear by Dewey’s shocking death scene, having a more aggressive version of the killer could help Scream 6 feel like an interesting natural extension of the previous film. The Ghostfaces featured in previous entries in the Scream franchise have sometimes attacked their victims in public spaces, but it’s a relatively rare occurrence for the killer to so brazenly strike when surrounded by large numbers of people. The new Ghostface’s mentality is perhaps best shown off in the Scream 6 trailer when the killer follows Sam (Barrera) and Tara (Ortega) into a busy bodega before dispatching the shopkeeper and an innocent bystander.

Often, in slasher movies, seeking refuge with strangers in a public place is a source of comfort, with the killer unable or unwilling to risk a handful of good Samaritans stepping in to help the victim. With the new Ghostface in Scream 6 having no such fears, the movie is already shaping up to be scarier than its predecessor. If Ghostface isn’t against attempting to kill Mindy (Savoy Brown) while on a crowded subway train or Tara and Sam in the bodega, there are very few places where the film’s main characters will feel safe. While 2022’s Scream was packed with tension, the upcoming sequel could be taking this to a whole new level.

When taken in combination with Gillett’s comments about the movie feeling “like it’s on rocket fuel,” Scream 6 is shaping up to have a lot more action than its predecessors. The franchise has always worked well because of its suspense and the ways in which the movies play with viewers’ expectations, and Scream 6 will likely do this too but in a way that incorporates more kills. Thankfully, audiences don’t have much longer to wait, with the sequel now just over a month away from releasing in theaters.

More: Scream 6’s Shrine Might Reveal Ghostface’s Identity

Source: Total Film (via GamesRadar)