'Scream VI' Editor Teases Future of the Horror Franchise, Reveals If 'Scream 7' Could Happen (Exclusive)

By Allison Schonter

Scream VI may have only just debuted in theaters Friday, arriving just 14 months after Scream (2022) relaunched the franchise, but fans are already eager to see Ghostface return. As moviegoers and horror lovers headed to the theater Friday, many left wondering if Scream 7 could be coming, with Scream VI editor Jay Prychidny telling PopCulture.com that while nothing is yet confirmed, the latest installment charted an "entirely new path for the franchise." Warning: This story contains spoilers for Scream VI.

A now iconic horror franchise that has joined the ranks of Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and more, the Scream franchise launched over the Christmas holiday in 1996. Its major box office success, grossing over $173 million worldwide, led to Scream 2 in 1997, Scream 3 in 2000, and Scream 4 in 2011. The franchise relaunched in 2022 with the release of Scream, the fifth film in the series and the first in more than a decade. Now in theaters, Scream VI offers a bit of a change to the franchise, for the first time taking Ghostface from California, the masked killer's hunting ground for the past films, aside from Scream 2's setting at Ohio's fictional Windsor College, to New York City, where Scream (2022) survivors Sam (Melissa Barrera), Tara (Jenna Ortega), Chad (Mason Gooding) and Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) have relocated following the brutal killing spree in Woodsboro that claimed their friends' lives. The switch-up offers more than just a change in scenery, though, with Prychidny sharing that the franchise's most recent installment forges "an entirely new path for the franchise."

"Scream VI has a real 'go broke' attitude. The previous film was more of a nostalgic reminder of the original four films and also acted as a passing of the torch to the new generation. So with this film, it's really off to the races to forge an entirely new path for the franchise," Prychidny said. "Since our characters have already been established, we can focus on deepening their relationships and putting them into new, fresh, and intense situations. This film is almost like the 'Punk Rock B-Side' of the previous film, which was more of a 'Greatest Hits' album. Our heroine, Sam, is also someone with a dark side, which makes this entry feel very different from the first four in the series. In this film, we get into her head a lot more, which isn't always the sunniest place to be!"

Offering a "darker, grittier, more intense, and rough around the edges" feel than the five previous films, Scream VI and the new path it creates could very well open up the franchise to further films, at least according to Prychidny, who indicated high hopes that Scream 7 could get the green light.

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"One of the most amazing things about this film is that it doesn't feel tired or worn out for being the sixth in a franchise. Far from it, it feels like a fresh reinvigoration of the entire series," he said. "There's a real passion and energy that permeates the scenes. It takes us into new emotional and psychological areas through Sam's character, and I can imagine so many ways the series could continue to refresh and reinvent itself. I think there's so much more material to be mined in Sam's character and the exploration of her shadow side and her dark passenger. Of course, I'm not the writer! But that's definitely what I'd love to see more of in Scream VII, and I think this film really sets us up for that."

At this time, Scream 7 has not been confirmed. Scream VI, now in theaters, is already a box office hit, though, scoring $44.5 million in its opening weekend at the domestic box office and another $22.6 million from 53 international markets, bringing its global tally to $67.1 million and making it the biggest overseas opening weekend of the Scream franchise. With those numbers, it seems likely that Scream 7 could be on its way. In the meantime, horror lovers can watch the first five films of the franchise on Paramount+.

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