The horror genre has been thriving for a number of years now, to the delight of fans. The best horror movies have returned to theaters with new sequels, including Wes Craven’s beloved franchise Scream. The last two movies were shot and released in quick succession, both of which came from directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. And the filmmakers spoke to CinemaBlend about how fan feedback led to changes during development and filming of Scream VI.
The folks at Radio Silence have a bonafide hit with Scream VI, which broke box office records for the franchise. The new Scream addressed fan theories head on, in both serious and hilarious ways. As you can see in the video above, I had the chance to speak with Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett as the movie was released on digital platforms. I asked how Scream VI changed throughout the process, and the latter filmmaker addressed how the discourse with the fans influenced the slasher. He cited Mindy’’s monologues in the last two movies, which were played to perfection by Yellowjackets actress Jasmin Savoy Brown. In his words:
We talk alot about the monologue being the moment the movie kind of inoculates itself in a lot of ways. You know the inevitable criticism there’s going to be. We love that there’s a character and a scene in the movie where the movie gets to go ‘Yeah we know. We know we’re going to fuck this up. Just come on, have fun with it, just enjoy the ride.’ So that’s always a scene on 5 and on 6 that was kind of living and changing and evolving in the moment.
Points were made. Part of what makes the Scream franchise so iconic is the ways the franchise has always leaned into metatheatricality. Each movie holds a mirror up to the state of the horror genre at that time, and the fans are usually very savvy. And as such, the last two movies took Mindy’s monologue as an opportunity to directly address any criticism that might have circulated around the internet.
These monologues are iconic parts of the last two Scream movies, and Mindy has quickly become a fan favorite character as a result. During the sixth movie, which is currently available with a Paramount+ subscription, a number of other theories were addressed/referenced during sequences taking place at the Ghostface shrine. That includes the fan theory that Matthew Lillard’s Stu was still alive. In our same conversation, Tyler Gillett spoke about how that set’s formation, saying:
For as much as we love the blueprint, it’s our job to kind of take all the feedback that we’re getting and infuse it into what ultimately the movie is. We’re so proud of how that came together, that sequence and set specifically.
The shrine itself was jam packed full of Easter eggs from the Scream franchise, including props and costumes from the previous Ghostface massacres. It unsurprisingly became the location for the final battle, which revealed that Scream VI had three Ghostface killers. But killing the Carpenter sisters is easier said than done, resulting in an epic final battle.
Scream VI is now available on Digital platforms and Paramount+ and arrives on 4K Ultra HD SteelBook, on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on July 11. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
