Spoilers ahead for Scream VI.
The horror genre continues to thrive in its current renaissance, with 2023 already delivering a number of hit movies. This includes Scream VI, which has gotten great reviews and even managed to break box office records for the franchise. Both of the last two movies were helmed by directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who made a splash in the genre with 2019’s delightful horror comedy Ready or Not. That movie starred actress Samara Weaving, and the directors recently revealed her reaction to her Scream VI opening scene.
Horror nerds like myself were delighted to learn that Samara Weaving was once again collaborating with the folks at Radio Silence for a role in Scream VI. She ended up playing film professor Laura Cane, who was the first victim in the new slasher. Tyler Gillet recently spoke to Fangoria about turning their final girl into the first kill, saying:
We actually didn’t get into the details, we told her there’s a really cool role, we’ll send you the scene — because we wanted her to be as surprised by it as we were when we read it. We think ultimately the script is the best pitch for what that character is and goes through. [Chuckles] We sent it to her and she flipped for it and loved the idea of having survived Ready or Not that she would be the opening kill of this movie.
Clearly Samara Weaving has a great collaborative relationship with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. While her screen time in Scream VI was limited, she definitely made an impact and delivered a strong performance. And it turns out she signed on without really asking any questions about her role. Talk about trust.
Tyler Gillett’s comments to Fangoria shows how much fun they had making the Ready or Not protagonist into Scream VI’s first victim. We know Weaving has the acting chops to pull off being the final girl, as she screamed and fought her way through that 2019 horror flick. But the last few Scream movies were ultimately about the Carpenter sisters, played by Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera.
While Samara Weaving’s character Laura was the first person killed in Scream VI, the scene itself ended up breaking new ground for the franchise. We actually saw her killer take off the Ghostface mask immediately afterward, revealing Tony Revolori’s Jason Carvey. The directors immediately subverted fan expectations here, with Jason being killed off by the movie’s real Ghostface killer shortly afterward. The movie’s tagline was New York, new rules, which was proven after that russian doll of an opening sequence.
Considering how well Scream VI, I have to wonder how long it’ll take Paramount to order another movie from Radio Silence. They’ve already got ideas about more legacy characters to bring back, and have found a way to innovate while also staying true to the heart of Wes Craven’s original four movies. So bring on another bloody meta adventure.
Scream VI is still in theaters now. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
