List of Scream (film series) characters

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the characters in the films. For the cast portraying the characters, see List of Scream (film series) cast members.

David Arquette, Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox have central roles in all five films.

Wes Craven's Scream series features a large cast of characters created primarily by Kevin Williamson with contributions from Craven and Ehren Kruger. The series focuses on the character of Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and a succession of murderers who adopt a ghost-like disguise, dubbed Ghostface, to taunt and attempt to kill her. The series will comprise five films: Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), Scream 3 (2000), Scream 4 (2011) and Scream (2022).

Sidney is accompanied in each film by news reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and town Deputy Sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette). Sidney is initially hostile to Gale, because Gale has written a book about the murder of Sidney's mother, but they grow closer in each successive film as they survive Ghostface's murder attempts. In Scream 2, Gale and Dewey initiate a relationship, which leads to a marriage proposal at the end of Scream 3. In Scream 4, eleven years later, Sidney has written a self-help book about her experiences, while Dewey has become a Sheriff and is in a strained marriage with Gale, who is struggling to write a new novel.

Each film provides a motive and grounds for suspicion for several characters, concealing the identity of the true killer or killers until the finale, in which their identities and motivations are revealed. In Scream, the fictional town of Woodsboro is besieged by a masked killer who focuses on Sidney, revealed in the finale as Sidney's boyfriend Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), aided by his friend Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard). Billy admits to being responsible for the murder of Sidney's mother Maureen Prescott, to take revenge for an affair Maureen had with Billy's father that caused his mother to "abandon" him. In Scream 2, copycat killers again stalk Sidney and her friends, before being revealed as Sidney's friend Mickey Altieri (Timothy Olyphant) and Billy Loomis' mother (Laurie Metcalf). In Scream 3, another killer hunts Sidney, claiming to have knowledge of Sidney's tragic past, prior to the events of the original film. The killer is revealed to be Roman Bridger (Scott Foley), Sidney's half-brother, who wants revenge for his rejection and abandonment by their mother. Roman is revealed to have been responsible for convincing Billy to kill Maureen before the events of Scream, setting in motion the events that occur in each successive film. In Scream 4, a killer appears when Sidney returns to Woodsboro on the fifteenth anniversary of the original killings. This killer is revealed to be Sidney's cousin Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts), with horror film fan Charlie Walker (Rory Culkin) as her accomplice. In Scream (2022), the killers are revealed to be horror fans Amber Freeman (Mikey Madison) and Richie Kirsch (Jack Quaid) who are dissatisfied with what the horror genre has become and decide to make their own slasher.

The Scream series has received several awards, including a Saturn Award for Best Actress and an MTV Movie Award for Best Performance for Neve Campbell and a Saturn Award for Best Horror Film for Scream.

Scream (1996)[]

Main article: Scream (1996 film)

Scream is the first film in the Scream series. One year prior to the events of the film, Maureen Prescott is brutally raped and murdered, apparently by Cotton Weary. During the film, the fictional town of Woodsboro is again attacked by a murderer, who particularly targets Sidney Prescott, Maureen's daughter. Deputy Sheriff Dewey Riley investigates the murders, while news reporter Gale Weathers follows the story. Sidney, her boyfriend Billy Loomis and their friends Tatum Riley, Stu Macher and Randy Meeks try to survive the attacks. The killer is revealed as both Billy and Stu, who admit to having killed Maureen and framed Cotton for the act. Sidney then kills them both in retribution.

Principal Arthur Himbry[]

Arthur Himbry is the principal of Woodsboro High School, attended by Sidney Prescott and her friends. While in his office, he is attacked by Ghostface and stabbed repeatedly before dying.[1]

Scream producer Bob Weinstein had Himbry's death added to the movie after he realized that the film had "30 pages of script" without a death occurring.[2] By chance, this gave writer Kevin Williamson a reason for the teenagers to leave Stu Macher's party during the film's finale, a plot point Williamson had been struggling to formulate.[2] The language used by Himbry and his aggressive actions towards the students were among several reasons why the film's production was forced to leave Santa Rosa High School: the school board found the film's content unacceptable and did not want it filmed there.[3]

Billy Loomis[]

  • Portrayed by Skeet Ulrich
  • Appeared in: Scream, Scream (2022)

Billy Loomis is a Woodsboro teenager, the boyfriend of Sidney Prescott and best friend of Stu Macher. He is also an avid fan of horror films. Following a series of murders, Billy becomes a suspect when he is found at Sidney's house with a cellphone shortly after she is taunted on the phone and attacked by a masked killer. Evidence is discovered that points to other characters, and Billy is removed as a suspect. During a party at Stu Macher's home, Billy and Sidney are reconciled and have sex, before Billy is stabbed by Ghostface. Later after a series of attacks, Billy is revealed to be alive and tries to help Sidney, obtaining in the process a gun which he then uses to shoot Randy Meeks. Billy then reveals himself to be the killer, having feigned the injury in the first place, with Stu confessing to be Billy's accomplice. The pair also admit to having raped and murdered Sidney's mother, Maureen Prescott, one year previously, after she had an affair with Billy's father, causing Billy's parents to divorce and his mother to "abandon" him. He dies after Sidney shoots him in the head.[1]

In Scream 2, Billy's mother seeks revenge on Sidney for Billy's death.[4]

In Scream 3, Roman Bridger reveals that he provided Billy the evidence of his father's affair and gave him advice on how to kill Maureen.[5]

In Scream (2022), it is revealed that Billy cheated on Sidney, fathered a daughter named Sam and appears in her visions throughout the film, encouraging her to fight back against the killers trying to murder her, and thus the hallucinations project images of Billy as a good man Sam wished he was.

In "Stab", the fictional film within a film based on the murders, Billy is portrayed by Luke Wilson.[4] The character is parodied in the film Scary Movie as Bobby Prinze, portrayed by Jon Abrahams.[6]

Kevin Patrick Walls and Justin Whalin were final contenders for the role of Billy Loomis before it was won by Skeet Ulrich. Walls was instead cast in the minor role of Steve Orth.[7][2]

Casey Becker[]

Barrymore was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Scream.[8]

Casey Becker is a Woodsboro teenager and the former girlfriend of Stu Macher. After receiving a taunting and threatening phone call, she is ordered to answer horror film trivia questions to save the life of her boyfriend, Steve Orth. When she answers incorrectly, Steve is disemboweled and she is asked another question to save her own life. When she refuses to answer, Ghostface chases her down and kills her, leaving her hanged from a tree and disemboweled. Later, it is revealed by Billy Loomis and Stu (who are Casey's Ghostface killers) that even if she answered, they would have killed her anyway.[1] In "Stab", the fictional film within a film based on the murders, Casey is played by Heather Graham.[4]

Barrymore was already a successful actress when she appeared in Scream, at a time when casting a big name for a horror film was uncommon. She was originally signed to play the role of Sidney after reading the script and approaching the production team herself. However she decided she would rather play the part of Casey Becker because of her connection to the character and wanting to deliver a shock to the audience. It was not due to a scheduling conflict even though a very popular rumor states it was. This has been debunked by Barrymore herself as well as Wes Craven. Like her co-stars Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox, her appearance is credited by Craven for raising the profile of the film and helping to attract a larger female audience.[9]

Several scenes leading to Casey's eventual death gave rise to disputes between Craven and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the film rating board, who raised concerns over the violence and intensity of the scene. When she is initially stabbed in the chest by Ghostface, Craven insisted that he had only been able to make one successful take of the scene, so that no substitution was possible; he was, in fact, lying. The scene in which her corpse is hung from a tree and disemboweled was heavily edited: Craven was forced to remove all still shots of the body, and the scene itself was sped up to reduce its time on screen.[2]

Cotton Weary[]

Cotton Weary was the original suspect in the rape and murder of Maureen Prescott, Sidney's mother. He was identified by Sidney, who found her mother's body after seeing someone she believed to be Cotton leaving her home. In Scream, it is revealed that Maureen was having an affair with Cotton before she was murdered by Billy Loomis and Stu Macher, who then planted evidence to frame Cotton.[1] In Scream 2, Cotton attempts to gain fame from his incarceration and exoneration for Maureen's murder, traveling to Windsor College to convince Sidney to agree to an interview. He later saves Sidney when she is about to be murdered by Mrs. Loomis, one of the Ghostface killers in Scream 2.[4]

In Scream 3, Cotton has become famous for his exploits, hosting his own talk show. He and his girlfriend Christine Hamilton are attacked by the latest Ghostface, who demands to know the whereabouts of Sidney after she goes into hiding. When Cotton refuses to tell, Ghostface kills him.[5]

In the original Scream 2 script, Cotton was captured by the real Ghostface killers, Derek Feldman, Hallie McDaniel and Mrs. Loomis. After Mrs. Loomis kills Derek and Hallie, she intends to frame Cotton for the recent murder spree, but he attacks and stabs her to death. He then tries to take revenge on Sidney for his false imprisonment, noting that the evidence points to him being an innocent victim. He and Sidney stab each other, but their fates have not been revealed.[10] Following the leak of the script on the Internet, extensive rewrites were undertaken, changing this plot.[11]

Dewey Riley[]

Arquette as his character Dewey Riley on the set of Scream 4
  • Portrayed by David Arquette
  • Appeared in: Scream (1996), Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4, Scream (2022)

Dwight "Dewey" Riley is the Deputy Sheriff of Woodsboro, the brother of Tatum Riley and friend of Sidney Prescott. After a series of murders, he helps lead the investigation, while pursuing a romance with Gale Weathers. He is stabbed by Ghostface during the finale of Scream, but survives.[1] Dewey returns in Scream 2, suffering from a limp and weakened arm caused by nerve damage as a result of his stabbing. He travels to Windsor College to help Sidney after a series of copycat Ghostface murders. He is attacked and stabbed repeatedly by the current Ghostface but again survives.[4] In Scream 3, he aids an investigation into a new Ghostface, later revealed to be Roman Bridger. Dewey shoots Roman in the head, killing him. In the aftermath he asks Gale to marry him, and she accepts.[5] In Scream 4, Dewey has married Gale and returned with her to Woodsboro, becoming the new Sheriff and recovered from his past injuries. After a new series of Ghostface murders on the anniversary of Billy Loomis' and Stu Macher's spree, Dewey again investigates. By now, his relationship with Gale is strained, but, after Gale is badly injured by Ghostface, they resolve their differences.[12] In the fifth installment of the series, also titled Scream, Dewey and Gale are divorced. While attempting to save someone else from being murdered, Ghostface stabs him in his stomach and back and pulls the knife up through his torso and back killing him.[13]

Dewey had been intended to die in the finale of the first installment of Scream.[14] However, Craven filmed an additional scene, in which Dewey survives and is placed in an ambulance, in case test audiences reacted positively to the character. When they did, this scene was added to the film, and his death was instead depicted in the fifth installment of Scream.[2]

Arquette was originally brought in to audition for the role of Billy Loomis in Scream, but preferred the character of Dewey and requested to audition for that instead. Despite resistance from the production team, who were concerned that the role was described as "hunky", rather than the younger, goofier approach of Arquette, Craven appreciated the idea and cast him in the role.[15]

In Stab, the fictional film within a film based on the Ghostface murders, and again in Stab 3, Dewey is portrayed by David Schwimmer[4] and fictional actor Tom Prinze, respectively.[5]

Gale Weathers[]

Cox was starring in the sitcom Friends when she took on the role of Gale Weathers.
Main article: Gale Weathers
  • Portrayed by Courteney Cox
  • Appeared in: Scream (1996), Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4, Scream (2022)

Gale Weathers is a news reporter for the fictional news show Top Story. Prior to the events of the films, she was involved in coverage of the murder of Maureen Prescott and the resulting trial of Cotton Weary, during which she criticized the testimony of Sidney Prescott. In Scream, she returns to Woodsboro to cover the current murder spree. During the finale of the film, her cameraman, Kenny Jones, is murdered, and she is left for dead after a car crash. She is later revealed to be alive and witnesses the confession of Billy Loomis and Stu Macher to their role in the killings. She helps Sidney defeat Billy and, after the events of the film, writes a new book about the Ghostface murders.[1] In Scream 2, she travels to Windsor College to cover the current murder spree. She witnesses the apparent death of Dewey Riley before she herself is shot by Mickey Altieri, one of the killers. She survives and helps Sidney to kill Mickey.[4] In Scream 3, she is shown to have written another book, this time about the Windsor College killings. She travels to Hollywood to aid the investigation of a new series of murders there. At the end of the film, Dewey asks Gale to marry him, and she accepts.[5] In Scream 4, Gale has married Dewey, becoming Gale Weathers-Riley, but their relationship is strained. She has written a series of novels about fictional Ghostface murders; these have been turned into new films in the fictional Stab series. She attempts to reignite her journalistic career by investigating the new murders, but is attacked and badly wounded by the new Ghostface. She survives and resolves her differences with Dewey.[12]

In the fictional Stab series of films within a film, Gale is portrayed by fictional actress Jennifer Jolie.[5]

Courteney Cox was starring in the NBC sitcom Friends when she was cast in Scream, marking a new trend: casting established and popular actors and actresses in horror films. Craven opined that her presence, like Neve Campbell's, helped raise the profile of Scream and attract a large female audience.[9] Brooke Shields and Janeane Garofalo were the original choices for the role of Gale. Cox was not even considered at first, as it was not believed that she could play Gale's selfish, abusive and aggressive character after playing the softer, nicer role of Monica Geller in Friends.[16] Cox, however, was eager to play a "bitch" character, specifically to contrast with her Friends character, and repeatedly lobbied the production team until she won the role.[15]

Ghostface[]

Main article: Ghostface (identity)

Ghostface is a fictional identity, created in Scream by Sidney's boyfriend Billy Loomis and his friend Stu Macher to conduct a murder spree in the town of Woodsboro. The costume they use is a generic Halloween costume, officially called "Father Death", that allows anyone to adopt the identity and makes the killers difficult to identify.[1] The killers taunt their victims on the phone before attacking, using a voice changer to disguise their true identity. While in costume, the character is voiced by voice actor Roger L. Jackson. The Ghostface identity is adopted by other killers after the death of Billy and Stu. In Scream 2, it is taken by Billy's mother and her accomplice, Mickey Altieri. In Scream 3, it is taken by Sidney's half-brother, Roman Bridger, the director of Stab 3. In Scream 4, on the anniversary of Billy and Stu's murder spree, a new Ghostface emerges, revealed to be Sidney's cousin Jill Roberts and her friend Charlie Walker. In Scream (2022), it's used by Richie Kirsch and Amber Freeman, who are respectively the boyfriend of Samantha Carpenter and best friend of her sister Tara. In the finale of each film, the current Ghostface killers confront Sidney and explain their motivation for stalking her.[1][4][5][12]

Jackson, who voices Ghostface in all the Scream films, was chosen for the part after weeks of local casting in Santa Rosa, California. He was intended only as a temporary voice, to be replaced in the post-production phase of the film with a dubbed voice,[16][17] but his contribution was retained because Craven felt he imbued the voice with a truly evil malevolence.[18] He and the casts of the films were intentionally prevented from meeting for most if not all of each film's production, to discourage the cast from putting a face to the voice, and to make him seem more menacing when interacting with the characters on the phone.[2][3]

Hank Loomis[]

  • Portrayed by C.W. Morgan
  • Appeared in: Scream (1996), Scream 3

Hank Loomis is the father of Billy, and the ex-husband of Mrs. Loomis. Hank is a lawyer and represents his son when Billy is brought in to the police station for questioning. It is later revealed that Hank was having an affair with Maureen Prescott, which is what lead to his wife leaving him.[1] In the promotional material for Scream 3, it is revealed that Hank use to be the main lawyer for Sunrise Studios, before leaving to set up his own law office in Woodsboro.[19]

Kenny Jones[]

Kenneth "Kenny" Jones is Gale Weathers' cameraman on the fictional news show "Top Story". In Scream, Kenny accompanies Gale as she reports on the series of murders in Woodsboro. After seeing on a hidden camera that Randy Meeks is about to be murdered, he leaves his van to help, and his throat is slit by Ghostface.[1]

Kenny's neck being slashed was one of the several scenes that had to be toned down by Craven at the behest of the MPAA in order to avoid the restrictive NC-17 rating. The scene was shortened because the MPAA felt that Kenny's expression after his throat was cut was too disturbing.[2]

Maureen Prescott[]

  • Portrayed by Lynn McRee
  • Appeared in: Scream, Scream 3

Maureen Prescott (née Roberts) is the mother of Sidney Prescott and wife of Neil Prescott. She is murdered before the events of the Scream films. She conducted several extra-marital affairs, including those with Cotton Weary and Hank Loomis, the father of Billy Loomis. Cotton was arrested and convicted of her murder. In Scream, a killer taunts Sidney on the phone about her mother's murder; this killer is later identified as Sidney's boyfriend Billy Loomis and his friend Stu Macher. Billy reveals that it was he and Stu who murdered Maureen and framed Cotton for it.[1] In Scream 3, the current Ghostface uses Maureen's synthesized voice and image to taunt Sidney and lure her out of hiding. The killer is unveiled as Roman Bridger, who reveals that he is Maureen's son and Sidney's half-brother. For a two-year period in her youth, before she met Sidney's father, Maureen had traveled to Hollywood to become an actress under the pseudonym Rina Reynolds. During this time she was impregnated with Roman by Hollywood producer John Milton, after being gang-raped. She then gave him up for adoption. When the adult Roman found her, she denied she had been Rina and rejected him. Roman then proceeded to film her affairs and showed the footage to Billy before convincing him to kill Maureen, starting the chain of events that occur throughout the Scream films.[5] Scream 4 introduces Maureen's sister Kate Roberts and her niece Jill Roberts.[12]

Neil Prescott[]

  • Portrayed by Lawrence Hecht
  • Appeared in: Scream, Scream 3

Neil Prescott is the father of Sidney Prescott and widower of Maureen Prescott. In Scream, he leaves Woodsboro on business and later disappears without trace, raising suspicions that he may be the perpetrator of a series of murders in the town. It is revealed in the finale that he was kidnapped by the real killers, Billy Loomis and Stu Macher, who intended to frame him for their crimes. Neil is saved by his daughter.[1] It is theorized that his absence from Scream 2 is to emphasize Sidney's independence in college; he is mentioned in-film as being out of the country on business. He appears briefly in Scream 3, commenting on Sidney's withdrawal from her friends and life. Scream 4 also introduces his sister-in-law Kate Roberts and his niece Jill Roberts.[5]

Randy Meeks[]

Jamie Kennedy stars in the first two Scream films, and cameos in the third.
  • Portrayed by Jamie Kennedy
  • Appeared in: Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3

Randy Meeks is a Woodsboro teenager. He is a friend of Sidney Prescott, for whom he has romantic feelings, and is an avid fan of horror movies. He uses his knowledge of horror film plots and clichés to define the series of murders that occur in Scream, Scream 2 and Scream 3. In Scream, he is shot by Billy Loomis but survives.[1] In Scream 2, he attends the fictional Windsor College with Sidney, studying film. When a new series of murders begins, Randy taunts the killer over the phone, mocking Billy Loomis' in the previous film. During this call, the killer dragged him into a van and killed him. It is later revealed that Mrs. Loomis, Billy's mother, killed Randy out of anger at his insults to her son.[4] Randy appears posthumously in Scream 3 in a recorded video, in which he explains to Sidney the rules of a trilogy, similar to how he explained the rules in the first two films.[5]

In the published screenplay for Scream, an alternate ending had Randy (rather than Sidney) kill Stu before asking Sidney out on a date.[14] Before a script leak forced the rewriting of parts of the Scream 2 screenplay, Randy was to be Gale Weathers' cameraman rather than a student as shown in the finished film. His death, however, remained the same.[11] Craven and Ehren Kruger considered bringing Randy back in Scream 3, revealing him to have survived his attack in Scream 2 but abandoned the idea as too unrealistic.[17]

Casting for Randy was contested between Kennedy and Breckin Meyer. The production team favored Kennedy, as they believed he had certain qualities that made him more suitable than Meyer for the role.[16] Kennedy, however, had had no major roles prior to Scream, and Dimension Films, the studio producing the films, was eager to have a more prominent actor in the production alongside the other well-known stars such as Barrymore and Cox.[16] The production team itself, however, was adamant that Kennedy was the best choice and fought successfully to keep him in.[3]

Sidney Prescott[]

Main article: Sidney Prescott
Neve Campbell (pictured) won the Saturn Award for Best Actress for her role in Scream.[20]
  • Portrayed by Neve Campbell
  • Appeared in: Scream (1996), Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4, Scream (2022)

In Scream, a year after the murder of her mother Maureen, she is stalked by a killer, later revealed to be her boyfriend Billy Loomis and his friend Stu Macher. These two prove to have been Maureen's murderers, Billy being motivated by Maureen's affair with his father, which caused his mother to leave home. Sidney kills both of them in self-defense.[1] In Scream 2, while attending college, she again becomes the target of a masked killer, this time her boyfriend's friend Mickey Altieri and the mother of Billy Loomis, seeking revenge for the death of her son. Once more Sidney manages to survive the attempts on her life.[4] During Scream 3 she is drawn to Hollywood by yet another killer. She discovers that this one is her half-brother Roman Bridger, who wants to kill her out of anger at his abandonment by Maureen.[5] In Scream 4 she returns to Woodsboro to promote her new self-help book about overcoming the tragedies of her life, but is targeted once again by a new Ghostface, who turns out to be her cousin Jill Roberts who's envious of Sidney's fame and wants to become the new "Sidney Prescott".[12] In Scream (2022), Sidney is revealed to be married to a man named Mark, with whom she has two children. With Gale, Sidney returns to Woodsboro to help Sam Carpenter and her sister Tara to kill the new Ghostfaces, avenging Dewey and the other victims.

In the fictional films within a film "Stab" and "Stab 2", based on the murders, Sidney is portrayed by Tori Spelling as herself.[4] In "Stab 3", she is portrayed by fictional actress Angelina Tyler.[5]

Neve Campbell won the Saturn Award for Best Actress in 1997 for her role as Sidney Prescott in Scream[20] and the MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance in 1998 for her role in Scream 2.[21] When she was cast in Scream, Campbell was starring in the television drama series Party of Five. It was previously unheard of to cast an established television actress in a horror film, but, following the success of this casting and that of Courteney Cox, the practice became common in many later horror films. Craven opined that their presence helped raise the profile of Scream and attract a large female audience.[9]

Steve Orth[]

  • Portrayed by Kevin Patrick Walls
  • Appeared in: Scream

Steven "Steve" Orth is a Woodsboro teenager and the boyfriend of Casey Becker. He is captured and held hostage by Ghostface, who keeps him bound to a chair outside Casey's home. Casey is made to answer horror-film trivia questions to save his life. When she gets a question wrong, Steve is disemboweled and dies.[1]

Walls auditioned for the part of Billy Loomis, but took the smaller role of Steve when Ulrich was cast as Billy.[2]

Stu Macher[]

Stuart "Stu" Macher is a Woodsboro teenager, the ex-boyfriend of Casey Becker and current boyfriend of Tatum Riley. Following a series of murders in the town, starting with the killing of Stu's ex-girlfriend Casey Becker, school is suspended. Stu hosts a party at his house to celebrate. At the party, Ghostface murders Tatum. Billy Loomis is revealed to be Ghostface, and Stu his accomplice. Stu cites peer pressure as his motivation. Stu tries to kill Sidney, but she drops a television on his head, electrocuting him.[1]

Matthew Lillard has an uncredited cameo at a sorority party in Scream 2.[22] He revealed in a 2009 interview that Stu was originally intended to be the killer in Scream 3, having survived his apparent death. From prison he was to orchestrate new Ghostface attacks on high school students, ultimately targeting Sidney.[23][24] Following the Columbine High School massacre, which took place shortly before production began, this plot was abandoned and the script was rewritten without Stu to avoid presenting violence and murder in a high school setting.[3] Many of Lillard's notable and humorous lines in the film were improvised.[2] He was cast by chance, after accompanying his girlfriend at the time to a separate audition in the facility where Scream auditions were also taking place. Scream casting director Lisa Beach saw Lillard and, believing he had the characteristics required of the character, asked him to audition.[16]

Tatum Riley[]

Tatum Riley was one of McGowan's earliest starring roles.

Tatum Riley is a Woodsboro teenager, the best friend of Sidney Prescott, the girlfriend of Stu Macher and the sister of town Deputy Dewey Riley. After a series of murders begin in the town, Tatum attempts to protect Sidney from the ensuing media attention, since the killings occurred on the anniversary of the brutal murder of Sidney's mother. Tatum's boyfriend Stu hosts a house party, during which the killer strikes, attacking her in the garage. She tries to escape through a cat door fitted to the automatic garage door, but becomes trapped, and the killer raises the door. Tatum's neck is crushed between the rising door and the top of its frame, killing her.[1]

Tatum's death, like those of Casey Becker and Kenny Jones, caused conflict between director Wes Craven and the MPAA film rating board. Craven was ultimately forced to reduce any lingering shots of her body, necessitating a quick visual cutaway once she dies.[2] Actresses Melinda Clarke and Rebecca Gayheart also auditioned for the role. McGowan was cast as Tatum because the production team felt she best embodied the "spunky" nature of the character.[16]

Scream 2[]

Main article: Scream 2

Scream 2 is the second film in the Scream series and is set one year after the Woodsboro murder spree. Sidney Prescott and Randy Meeks now attend the fictional Windsor College as students. "Stab", a film based on the Woodsboro murders, has just been released, and a copycat murder spree begins during its premiere. The new Ghostface attacks Sidney and her friends, killing Randy and wounding Dewey Riley, before being revealed as Sidney's classmate Mickey Altieri and Mrs. Loomis, the mother of Scream killer Billy Loomis.

Cici Cooper[]

Casey "Cici" Cooper is a student at Windsor College. While alone in her house, Cici is attacked by Ghostface. She runs upstairs pursued by the killer, who throws her through a glass door on to a balcony and stabs her twice in the back before picking her up and throwing her over the balcony to her death. From her murder and the preceding murders of Phil Stevens and Maureen Evans, Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley deduce that the new killer is choosing targets with names similar to those of the victims of the original Ghostface killers, Billy Loomis and Stu Macher.[4]

Debbie Salt (Mrs. Loomis)[]

Metcalf had just finished her run in the hit sitcom Roseanne when she starred in Scream 2, continuing the trend started in Scream of casting popular and established actresses.

Debbie Salt is a local news reporter covering the series of murders at Windsor College. In the finale she is revealed to be Mrs. Loomis, Billy's mother, and the copycat Ghostface alongside her accomplice Mickey Altieri. Before the events of Scream, she leaves her home after learning of her husband's affair with Sidney Prescott's mother Maureen, abandoning Billy and providing his motivation for his killing spree in Scream. After Billy's death Mrs. Loomis undertakes a physical makeover, losing weight to change her appearance. She then recruits Mickey from a website devoted to serial killers, to enact a plan for revenge against Sidney. She ultimately betrays Mickey and shoots him, claiming to have indulged his desire for fame to gain his help, while she really intends to kill Sidney and then disappear without trace. Cotton Weary intervenes and manages to save Sidney's life by shooting Mrs. Loomis through her throat, killing her, before Sidney shoots her through the head, to guarantee that she won't return.[4]

In the original Scream 2 script, Mrs. Loomis worked with Hallie McDaniel and Derek Feldman, not Mickey, though she still killed her allies. She intended to frame Cotton for the murders, but he managed to stab and kill her.[10] After the script leaked on to the Internet, it underwent rewrites that removed this ending.[11]

Derek Feldman[]

Derek Feldman is a student at Windsor College, a friend of Mickey Altieri and boyfriend of Sidney Prescott. After publicly declaring his love for Sidney, he is captured by his fellow frat brothers and restrained as a prank. During the finale, as Sidney is escaping Ghostface, she finds Derek still restrained and tries to untie him before the killer arrives. Ghostface reveals himself as Mickey and accuses Derek of being his accomplice, causing Sidney to hesitate in freeing him. After Derek threatens Mickey, Mickey shoots him through the heart, killing him.[4]

In the original Scream 2 screenplay, Derek was one of the killers working with Mrs. Loomis and Hallie McDaniel. He and Hallie, who were also secret lovers, shared the motivation of gaining fame for the murders when they were caught, but were both killed by Mrs. Loomis to preserve her anonymity.[10] After the script was leaked on the Internet, it underwent rewrites, removing this ending.[11]

Hallie McDaniel[]

Hallie McDaniel is an African-American student at Windsor College and the best friend of Sidney Prescott. When Sidney is taken into protective custody, Hallie accompanies her, but Ghostface attacks the car in which they are traveling and murders the policemen guarding them. Ghostface hijacks their car, but crashes, rendering himself unconscious and allowing Sidney and Hallie to escape. When Sidney returns to the vehicle to discover the killer's identity, she finds him missing from the car. Ghostface leaps out at Hallie as she waits nearby for Sidney, and stabs her to death.[4]

In the original Scream 2 screenplay, Hallie was one of the killers, working with Mrs. Loomis and Derek Feldman. She and Derek, who were also secret lovers, shared the motivation of gaining fame for the murders when they were caught, but were both killed by Mrs. Loomis to preserve her anonymity.[10] After the script was leaked on the Internet, it underwent rewrites, removing this ending.[11]

Joel Jones[]

Joel Jones is Gale Weathers' new cameraman, replacing Kenny Jones from Scream.

When the Windsor College murders begin, Joel becomes scared of Gale's need to follow the trail. After he reads her book "The Woodsboro Murders", he becomes even more reluctant, especially when he learns about the fate of Kenny and greatly dislikes it when anybody mentions his name in front of him. He goes to buy some doughnuts and coffee and is shocked to come back and find Randy Meeks murdered in his van, passing out once he sees the gruesome sight. Left without his van due to it being an official crime scene and finally being pushed to his limits following Randy's death, he leaves, giving Gale all of the news footage that they had filmed so far and telling her that she needed her "head examined".

At the end of the film, he returns to Gale to once again be her cameraman.

In the original Scream 2 screenplay, Joel had a larger role as a member of Sidney Prescott's group of friends. His corpse was found during the film's finale. After this script was leaked on the Internet, it underwent rewrites, changing the role of several characters and making Joel a cameraman.[11]

Maureen Evans and Phil Stevens[]

Maureen Evans and her boyfriend Phil Stevens are students at Windsor College. They attend a sneak preview of the film "Stab", during which Phil goes to the bathroom and hears strange whimpering from the next stall. He presses his ear against the divider to listen closer, but a blade is forced through the divider, stabbing Phil in the ear and killing him. The killer, wearing a Ghostface costume, returns to the screening and sits beside Maureen, before mortally stabbing her. The audience believe her to be part of a publicity stunt, until she falls dead in front of the cinema screen.[4]

Their deaths are satirized in Scary Movie.[6]

Mickey Altieri[]

Mickey Altieri is a student at Windsor College and Derek Feldman's best friend. Like Randy Meeks from Scream, he shows an avid interest in horror films and sequels. In the finale he is revealed as the current Ghostface, with his accomplice Mrs. Loomis. He kills Sidney's boyfriend Derek in front of her. Mickey states that he carried out the killings with the intention of getting caught, believing he would receive fame for his deeds and from the resulting trial, and intending to blame film violence for influencing him. Contrary to Mickey's desires, however, Mrs. Loomis intends to disappear after the killings; so she shoots him, seemingly fatally. After Mrs. Loomis' defeat, though, Mickey leaps to his feet to attack Sidney, but is finally killed by Gale and Sidney.[4]

In the original Scream 2 script, Mickey was murdered by Ghostface while trying to save Sidney, but this was changed in rewrites after the original script was leaked online.[10][11]

Joshua Jackson[]

Joshua Jackson (originally credited as Film Class Guy #1) is a film student at Windsor College, and a friend of Randy Meeks who he explains the "Rules to Survive" to.

In Scream (2022), Joshua is revealed to have had a similar career to the actor portraying him, starring in Dawson's Creek and appearing in its Stab parody episode "The Scare" alongside Roman Bridger. Twenty-five years after the original Woodsboro murders, Richie Kirsch watches the episode, openly praising Joshua's performance over the course of the new Ghostface's killing spree.

Scream 3[]

Main article: Scream 3

In Scream 3, the third film in the Scream series, a new series of Ghostface murders begins during production of "Stab 3", a film within a film based on the murders in Scream and Scream 2. Sidney Prescott has hidden herself away, and Ghostface leaves photographs of a young Maureen Prescott, her mother, at the crime scenes, hoping to lure her to Hollywood. The killer is revealed as Roman Bridger, Sidney's unknown half-brother and Maureen's son. Roman was conceived after the young Maureen was gang-raped in Hollywood while attempting to become an actress under the pseudonym Rina Reynolds. Baby Roman was given up for adoption, but as an adult he found Maureen, who rejected him. In revenge for this, Roman convinced Billy Loomis to kill her. Sidney and Roman fight, and Sidney stabs him before Dewey Riley shoots him through the head and kills him.

Angelina Tyler[]

Angelina Tyler is the actress who plays the role of Sidney Prescott in "Stab 3". To win this role, she took part in a talent competition, but she later reveals that she had sex with John Milton, the producer of the "Stab" films, to secure the job. While attending the birthday party of Roman Bridger, she is attacked and killed by Ghostface.[5]

In an early version of the script, Angelina was a second Ghostface, Roman's lover and accomplice, and a former classmate of Sidney from Woodsboro, originally named Angie Crick. Her motivation was stated as her idolizing Sidney and wanting her fame and attention, thus taking on the role of Sidney in the "Stab" film, and giving Roman's and Sidney's relationship incestuous vibes. The idea was later apparently scrapped;[25] however, in the film's director's commentary, Craven confirmed that Angelina was still portrayed as the second killer in the final film, but that the scenes revealing her relationship with Roman (and having captured Milton in order for Roman to execute him) had been cut; Craven elaborated that an earlier scene in the film where Sidney came across Angelina wearing Ghostface gear in her dressing room, which she had passed off as still wearing due to just having come off of set, was Sidney unknowingly having actually caught Angelina in the act of changing into her Ghostface gear.[26]

Craven furthermore left it ambiguous as to whether Angelina was actually dead (due to her "murder" having occurred offscreen), or whether Roman had betrayed and killed her while she was "wandering off" to get changed into her Ghostface gear; in the subsequent Scream Trilogy box set booklet written by Craven, Angelina is listed among the characters still-alive after Scream 3.[26]

Christine Hamilton[]

Christine Hamilton is Cotton Weary's girlfriend. In the opening of Scream 3, she is stalked by the current Ghostface, who uses a voice synthesizer to sound like Cotton, convincing her that Cotton is behind the mask. When the real Cotton arrives, she believes him to be Ghostface and attacks him, while the real Ghostface approaches her from behind and stabs her to death.[5]

Jennifer Jolie[]

Critical reaction to Posey's performance as Jennifer Jolie was highly positive. The role earned her an MTV Movie Award nomination.[27]

Jennifer Jolie (real name Judy Jurgenstern) is the actress playing the role of Gale Weathers in the first three "Stab" movies. After a new series of Ghostface murders, Jennifer believes she may be the next victim and starts following the real Gale, hoping the killer will choose to kill her instead. While attending a birthday party for Roman Bridger she is attacked and killed by Ghostface.[5]

Parker Posey was nominated in 2000 for an MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance for her role as Jennifer Jolie, losing to Adam Sandler, who won it for his performance in Big Daddy (1999).[27]

John Milton[]

John Milton is the producer of the three fictional "Stab" movies. He is revealed to have known Maureen Prescott in her youth, when she was an aspiring actress using the pseudonym Rina Reynolds. It was during one of Milton's parties in the 1970s that Rina was gang-raped and became pregnant with Roman Bridger, with Milton himself being his father. Ghostface, revealed as Roman, kidnaps Milton and murders him in front of Sidney, blaming his father for turning their mother into a "slut".[5]

Mark Kincaid[]

Mark Kincaid is a detective investigating the most recent Ghostface murders. He displays an interest in horror films, and in the history of Sidney Prescott. When Sidney is forced to confront the killer, Kincaid is concerned for her and secretly follows her. Kincaid is attacked and severely wounded by Ghostface. After Ghostface is killed, he is seen with Sidney, Dewey and Gale at Sidney's house, preparing to watch a movie.

In the fifth film of the franchise, Sidney mentions having married and started a family with a man named Mark, which directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin later confirmed was in fact Mark Kincaid.

Martha Meeks[]

Martha Meeks is Randy Meeks' younger sister. After learning of the new Ghostface murders, she meets with Sidney Prescott to give her a tape recorded by Randy prior to his death in Scream 2, which contains his advice for surviving the concluding chapter of a trilogy and the third series of Ghostface murders. By the time of Scream (2022), Martha has married and had two children: Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin.[5]

Roman Bridger[]

Roman Bridger is the director of "Stab 3: Return to Woodsboro". During his birthday party at John Milton's mansion, he is found in the basement, apparently murdered. Later, when Sidney Prescott is confronted by Ghostface, the latter is unmasked as Roman, who has faked his death to eliminate himself as a suspect. Roman tells Sidney that he is her half-brother, relating the circumstances of his conception by Milton (who is unaware that Roman is his son) and later rejection by Maureen Prescott and how he had convinced Billy Loomis to murder Maureen, thus making him the overall architect of the Ghostface murders. Believing that Sidney has the life and fame that he was denied, Roman now tries to kill her, but in the end he himself is killed by Dewey Riley.[5]

In Scream (2022), Roman is revealed to have portrayed Cliff Elliott in Dawson's Creek (created by Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson) before the events of Scream 3, with footage featuring him from the episode "The Scare" (in actuality a parody of Scream, presented as an in-universe parody of Stab) being watched by Sam Carpenter and Amber Freeman; the film uses archive footage from "The Scare", in which Scott Foley had actually featured as Elliott.

Sarah Darling[]

Sarah Darling is an actress starring in "Stab 3". She receives a phone call from someone claiming to be Roman Bridger (later revealed to actually be him), the director of that film, but after the call turns sinister she attempts to conceal herself among a set of film prop Ghostface costumes. However, one of the costumes is being worn by the killer, who attacks and murders Sarah, leaving a picture of the young Maureen Prescott on her corpse.[5]

Steven Stone[]

Steven Stone is Jennifer Jolie's bodyguard. While guarding her home, he inspects Dewey Riley's trailer, which is kept on her land. While there he receives a phone call from someone claiming to be Dewey, who is later revealed to be Ghostface using a voice synthesizer to imitate Dewey's voice. Stone is attacked and killed by Ghostface.

Tom Prinze[]

Tom Prinze is an actor in "Stab 3", playing the role of Dewey Riley. At night in Jennifer Jolie's house, Tom, Jennifer, Dewey and Gale Weathers are attacked by Ghostface. The killer begins faxing them pages of script detailing the immediate events. As there is a power cut in the house, Tom attempts to illuminate the pages with his lighter, unaware of gas leaking into the house, causing an explosion that kills him.[5]

Tyson Fox[]

Tyson Fox is a fictional actor in "Stab 3", playing the role of Ricky, the "Stab 3" equivalent of Randy Meeks. While attending the birthday party of Roman Bridger, he is attacked, stabbed, and thrown over a balcony to his death.[5]

Scream 4[]

Main article: Scream 4

Scream 4 is the fourth film in the Scream series. On the fifteenth anniversary of the Woodsboro massacre depicted in Scream, Sidney Prescott returns to the town to promote her new self-help book, "Out of Darkness", about her overcoming the attacks and the deaths in her life. The fictional "Stab" series of horror films based on her life have continued to be produced and have become increasingly popular. In Scream 4, Woodsboro is attacked by a new Ghostface, who recreates the original Woodsboro killings from Scream. Ghostface targets Sidney, her cousin Jill Roberts, and Jill's friends. As the killings occur, Gale Weathers-Riley struggles to reestablish her journalistic career, while working on her strained marriage to Dewey Riley, now promoted to Sheriff.

Anthony Perkins and Ross Hoss[]

Anthony Perkins and Ross Hoss are deputies in the Woodsboro police, who are assigned to guard Jill Roberts and Sidney Prescott after threats from Ghostface. While patrolling the grounds of Jill's home, they are attacked and stabbed to death by Ghostface.[12]

Charlie Walker[]

Charlie Walker is a student at Woodsboro High School, friend of Robbie Mercer, love interest of Kirby Reed and an avid fan of horror films, particularly the "Stab" series. He runs a film club with Robbie, and the pair are recruited by Gale Weathers-Riley to help profile the killer. He hosts a large-scale viewing of the seven "Stab" films in a remote area, and later attends an after-party at Kirby's house. Ghostface attacks the party and Charlie is captured and bound to a chair. Kirby is forced to answer horror film trivia questions to save his life. Believing she has won, Kirby frees Charlie, but he stabs her in the stomach and confesses to being the killer, angry with her for not returning his affections in the years they had known each other, before leaving her for dead. Charlie is revealed to have an accomplice, Jill Roberts, with whom he is in a romantic relationship. Charlie admits to aiding Jill in order to become the new generation Randy Meeks to her Sidney Prescott. Jill instead betrays him and stabs him through the heart, killing him.[12]

Jenny Randall and Marnie Cooper[]

Jenny Randall and Marnie Cooper are students at Woodsboro High School. After watching "Stab 7", Jenny pranks Marnie by pretending to be Ghostface. However, Marnie is then attacked and killed by the real Ghostface. Ghostface then chases Jenny through the house, wounding her and crushing her back as she tries to crawl under an automatic garage door, before stabbing her to death.[12]

Jill Roberts[]

Roberts was required to dye her natural blonde hair dark and wear extensions to portray Sidney's cousin Jill in the fourth movie.

Jill Roberts is a student at Woodsboro High School, cousin of Sidney Prescott and Roman Bridger, the daughter of Kate Roberts, and the niece of Maureen and Neil Prescott. Before the events of the film, she ends her relationship with her boyfriend Trevor Sheldon after he cheats on her. She and her friends, Kirby Reed and Olivia Morris, are targeted by the new Ghostface, resulting in their gaining police protection. Jill sneaks away from the protection to Kirby's house for a party. Ghostface attacks the party, murdering some of the attendees before being revealed as Charlie Walker. Following this reveal, Jill reveals herself as the other Ghostface and the mastermind behind the murders, as she and Charlie capture Sidney. Envious of Sidney's fame, Jill wants to become the new "Sidney Prescott" by recreating the events that made Sidney famous. Jill murders Trevor for cheating on her, betrays Charlie by stabbing him through the heart, and stabs Sidney in the stomach. Believing that the witnesses to her crimes are all dead, Jill plants evidence framing Trevor and Charlie for the murder spree. Jill then intentionally harms herself to appear to be the lone survivor of the Ghostface attacks. After being taken to the hospital, Jill discovers that Sidney has survived her wounds. Jill again attempts to kill Sidney, but Sidney, aided by Dewey Riley, Gale Weathers-Riley and Judy Hicks, shoots Jill in the chest, killing her.[12]

Ashley Greene was considered for the role of Jill before Emma Roberts was cast.[28]

Judy Hicks[]

Shelton stars in the fourth and fifth films.

Judy Hicks is Deputy Sheriff of Woodsboro under Sheriff Dewey Riley and a former classmate of Sidney Prescott. She idolizes Dewey but dislikes his wife Gale Weathers-Riley. The two are able to put aside their differences in the end, when Judy saves Gale from being shot by Jill Roberts. She is then shot herself, but is unharmed, as she is wearing a bulletproof vest.[12]

In the fifth entry, Hicks is promoted to Sheriff. Her son, Wes Hicks, is introduced (a name tribute to series veteran director Wes Craven who died in 2015), portrayed by Dylan Minnette. She is subsequently murdered along with Wes at her home.

Lake Bell was given the role of Judy, but she dropped out only four days before filming was to begin, citing scheduling conflicts.[29]

Kate Roberts[]

Kate Roberts is the mother of Jill Roberts, aunt to Sidney Prescott, sister to Maureen Prescott, and the sister-in-law of Neil Prescott. After Kate and Sidney are attacked by Ghostface, Kate, leaning against a door, is stabbed in the back through a mail slot and dies.[12]

Lauren Graham was originally cast in the role of Kate Roberts but left the production a few days into principal photography, being replaced with McDonnell.[30][31]

Kirby Reed[]

Panettiere received a positive critical response to her role as Kirby Reed.

Kirby Reed is a Woodsboro teenager, friend of Jill Roberts and Olivia Morris, love interest of Charlie Walker and an avid fan of horror films. While entertaining friends at a party, she begins to pursue Charlie romantically. Ghostface attacks the party and she retreats into the basement with Sidney. Ghostface captures Charlie and forces Kirby to play a game to save his life. When she believes she has won, she unties Charlie, who then stabs her in the stomach and reveals that he is the killer, blaming her because she had not returned his affections sooner.[12]

In Scream (2022), a visual clue reveals that Kirby survived her injuries and participated in an interview about the attacks, although her whereabouts are unknown. She also appears in Dewey's call logs, indicating they have remained in touch.[32]

Olivia Morris[]

Olivia Morris is a Woodsboro teenager and a friend of Jill Roberts and Kirby Reed. Following a new series of Ghostface murders, she is attacked by Ghostface in her home and disemboweled while her friends are forced to watch from the neighboring house.[12]

Rebecca Walters[]

Rebecca Walters is Sidney Prescott's secretary and publicist, who helps arrange Sidney's visit to Woodsboro to promote her book. Sidney fires her after Rebecca attempts to capitalize on the new Ghostface murders to increase sales of Sidney's book. While returning to her car, Rebecca is taunted and attacked by Ghostface. She is stabbed to death and her body is thrown from the top of a parking garage, landing on a news van in front of a crowd of reporters.[12]

Robbie Mercer[]

Robbie Mercer is a Woodsboro teenager, a friend of Charlie Walker and an avid fan of horror films, running a film club with Charlie. While attending Kirby Reed's party, he is attacked by Ghostface and fatally wounded, living long enough to warn Sidney Prescott, Jill and Kirby before dying.[12]

Trevor Sheldon[]

Trevor Sheldon is a Woodsboro teenager and the ex-boyfriend of Jill Roberts, who ended her relationship with him after he took her virginity and then cheated on her with Jenny Randall. He makes repeated attempts to earn her forgiveness and continue their relationship. After Ghostface's victims receive calls from Trevor's cellphone, which he claims to have lost, he becomes a suspect in the murders. He attends Kirby Reed's house party, claiming to have been invited by phone, but the guests deny responsibility. When the true Ghostface killers are unmasked as Charlie Walker and Jill, they reveal a bound Trevor, whom they plan to frame for their crimes. Jill shoots him in the crotch for cheating on her, before executing him by shooting him in the head.[12]

Tortorella auditioned five times to secure the role of Trevor by reenacting a scene from Scream where the character of Billy Loomis reveals he is one of the killers.[33]

Scream (2022)[]

Main article: Scream (2022 film)

Samantha "Sam" Carpenter[]

Sam is a young woman from Woodsboro who now lives in Modesto with her boyfriend, Richie Kirsch. She is the older sister of Tara Carpenter, and former babysitter of Wes Hicks. After discovering her real father is Billy Loomis when she was thirteen, Sam had a troubled adolescence before leaving her family and Woodsboro at eighteen, fearing that she would become a psychotic killer since. Upon receiving a call from Wes about Tara's attack, Sam returns to Woodsboro after five years with Richie to be with Tara as she recovers. At the hospital, she is attacked by Ghostface and begins experiencing hallucinations of her father. She eventually tells Tara her secret, which creates tension between the two. After rescuing Tara from a second attack, Sam decides to leave for Modesto again with both Richie and Tara. When Tara realizes she is missing her inhaler, the trio stops at Amber's house to retrieve a spare. There, Richie stabs her, revealing himself to be one of the killers alongside Amber and Tara's attacker. He tries to kill Sam but she overpowers him and kills him by slitting his throat. She then thanks Sidney and Gale before leaving for the hospital with Tara.

Richie Kirsch[]

  • Portrayed by Jack Quaid
  • Appeared in: Scream (2022)

Richie Kirsch is Samantha Carpenter's boyfriend and coworker at a bowling alley in Modesto, California. When she learns her sister Tara was attacked and hospitalized, he goes with her to Woodsboro for emotional support. After Sam is attacked in the hospital by Ghostface, he overhears her tell Tara she (Sam) is Billy Loomis' illegitimate daughter, but decides to stay with her. He goes with her to seek out Dewey Riley, who warns her that, as her boyfriend, he's high on the list of suspects. He's also there when she speaks to Tara's friends. He later finds Tara being attacked by Ghostface and is mildly injured. Sam and Dewey arrive and, while Richie and the girls escape, Dewey is killed. Afterwards, they meet Sidney and, despite her warnings, decide to leave. On the way out, Tara realizes she lost her inhaler and Sam convinces Richie to go to Amber's house to get her spare. When they learn Ghostface is there, Sam is suspicious of Richie, though he warns her it could be Tara. After Sidney arrives, she and Sam subdue Ghostface, only for Richie to stab Sam, revealing himself as a killer, the other being Amber. They take them and the wounded Gale captive and reveal their plan: to make a real life reboot of "Stab" with Sam, as Billy's daughter, framed as the killer. Richie also stole Tara's inhaler so they would fall into his trap. However, they learn Tara is free (Richie's attempt to sow distrust in Sam failed), distracting them long enough for Sidney and Gale to deal with Amber while Sam fights Richie. She ultimately gets a knife and stabs him many times with it before slitting his throat. She then empties a gun taken from Gale into his corpse to be sure he's dead.

Amber Freeman[]

Amber Freeman is a Woodsboro teenager and friend to Tara Carpenter, Wes Hicks, Chad Meeks-Martin, Mindy Meeks-Martin, and Liv McKenzie. She is seen being threatened by Ghostface during Tara's attack. After Tara's attack, she and the rest of the teenagers go visit her in the hospital along with Tara's older sister Sam and her boyfriend, Richie Kirsch. She and the teenagers are kicked out of a bar, where Liv's summer fling Vince Schneider is killed by Ghostface. After Wes is murdered, she and the teens plan a party at her house to honor his memory. During this, Liv is killed by Amber when she reveals herself as the killer. Amber shoots Gale and Richie reveals himself as her accomplice, taking Gale, Sidney, Sam, and Tara captive. She reveals that they were disappointed at the last Stab movie and wish to revive the franchise with a new killing spree to act as "source material" and defend fans of the franchise from the "toxic fandom" label they feel they have unjustly received. Amber is killed after she is shot by Gale and Tara and is lit on fire, burning alive while screaming. Madison previously portrayed Manson Family follower Susan "Sadie" Atkins, a different character who is killed after being lit on fire and left burning alive while screaming, in the 2019 Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Chad Meeks-Martin[]

Chad is a Woodsboro teenager and the fraternal twin brother of Mindy. Through his mother, Martha, he is Randy Meeks's nephew. He is an athlete at Woodsboro High and the boyfriend of Liv McKenzie. He becomes protective of Liv after Vince Schneider tries to get her back one night at the bar. At the memorial party for Wes, he refuses Liv's request to go somewhere private out of fear of going with the killer. Liv storms away and Chad chases after her using location-sharing on his phone. Believing to have found Liv, he is instead attacked by Ghostface. After the killers are stopped, both Chad and Mindy are revealed to have survived and awaiting medical treatment.

Liv McKenzie[]

Liv is a Woodsboro teenager and the girlfriend of Chad Meeks-Martin. She previously had a summer fling with Vince Schneider. At the memorial party for Wes, Liv becomes angry with Chad over his perceived mistrust of her. She leaves the house and returns later to find his body outside after being attacked. Panicked, she rushes inside to discuss the killer's identity with the remaining guests. In the ensuing argument, Liv is shot and killed by Amber.

Mindy Meeks-Martin[]

Mindy is a Woodsboro teenager and the fraternal twin sister of Chad. Through her mother, Martha, she is Randy Meeks's niece. Like her uncle, she is an avid horror fan. At the memorial party for Wes, she is attacked by Ghostface while watching Stab, mirroring the attack on Randy twenty-five years ago. After the killers are stopped, both Chad and Mindy are revealed to have survived and awaiting medical treatment.

Tara Carpenter[]

Tara is a Woodsboro teenager and the friend of Amber Freeman. Her older sister is Sam Carpenter, and her friend group includes Wes Hicks and Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin. She is the first target of the new Ghostface, though she survives the attack. She admits to being a fan of elevated horror, citing the films Hereditary and The Babadook. Tara is initially excited to see her sister after five years, but grows distant when Sam reveals her biological father is Billy Loomis. After she is attacked again at the hospital, Sam decides to bring Tara back to Modesto with her and Richie. As they leave Woodsboro, Tara realizes she is missing her inhaler, but remembers she left a spare at Amber's house. Upon arriving, Amber ends the memorial party in honor of Wes Hicks and goes with Tara to retrieve the inhaler. After revealing herself to be the killer, Amber ties up Tara in her closet. She is eventually found by Sam, who unties her. After the killers are stopped, Tara is loaded into an ambulance. Requesting that Sam ride with her, the two leave the scene.

Vince Schneider[]

Vince is a resident of Woodsboro and had a summer fling with Liv McKenzie. After spending the night at the bar, he is murdered by Ghostface in a nearby alley, becoming the true first victim. When the group discusses potential suspects at the twins' house, it is revealed that Vince is the nephew of Stu Macher through his mother, Leslie.

Wes Hicks[]

Wes is a Woodsboro teenager and is also Sheriff Judy Hicks' son. He goes to Woodsboro High and is part of the friend group. He calls Sam and tells her about Tara's attack and is worried that the killer will target him and his mother due to Judy having a part in solving the previous killings. As he is preparing the table for dinner, Wes hears strange noises in the house. He goes to lock the front door for safety but is then attacked by Ghostface. He tries to hold off the knife but the killer forces it through his throat, killing him.

Reception[]

Neve Campbell praised the role of Sidney Prescott, saying she "adored" the character and "she's a fantastic character for any kind of movie."[34] In 1997, the Scream role won Campbell the Saturn Award for Best Actress[20] and an MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance nomination.[35] The following year she went on to win the 1998 Best Female Performance for Scream 2[21] and received a second nomination for the Saturn Award for Best Actress, losing to Jodie Foster for Contact (1997).[36] She received a third and final Best Female Performance nomination from MTV in 2000 for the character in Scream 3, but lost to fellow Scream alum Sarah Michelle Gellar for Cruel Intentions (1999).[37][38]

Barrymore and Ulrich also received Saturn Award nominations in 1997 for Scream, for Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor respectively.[8] Although critical of the film itself, Variety singled out Campbell and Ulrich for praise as "charismatic", liking Cox's playing against type as the ambitious reporter Gale and saying the film had a "strong ensemble cast".[39]

John Muir, author of Wes Craven: The Art of Horror, was critical of the new characters introduced in Scream 2 – Derek, Joel, Cici, Hallie, Lois, Murphy and Mickey – stating that they never attained the same depth of character as Scream characters such as Tatum Riley, Billy Loomis and Stu Macher, or even minor characters like Principal Himbry. Muir cited the sequel's focus on increased body counts and violence as the cause of this discrepancy in the quality of the two films' characters. He added that, as a result, Scream 2 lacked the same mystery or intrigue as the original, as the killer could be any character, purely because the audience is never provided with enough information to form an opinion of them. Roger Ebert agreed with this criticism, saying "there is no way to guess who's doing the killing, and everyone who seems suspicious is (almost) sure to be innocent."[40]

However, Muir praised the development of the surviving characters of Scream, labeling Gale Weathers, Dewey Riley, Sidney Prescott, and Randy Meeks as "beloved" and claiming that the death of Randy was the most devastating moment of the sequel and a "bad move".[41] Variety's Leonard Klady was more appreciative of some of the new cast, calling Laurie Metcalf and Liev Schreiber "standout" talent.[42] Cox received a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role in Scream 2, but lost to Gloria Stuart for Titanic (1997).[36]

On the characters of Scream 3, Roger Ebert was critical, stating "[the characters] are so thin, they're transparent", but he praised Neve Campbell's appearance as Sidney Prescott, saying "The camera loves her. She could become a really big star and then giggle at clips from this film at her AFI tribute".[43] The New York Times praised her role equally highly, saying "She has developed as an actress; when her eyes go dark with concern and fear, she is nerve-racked and tormented, not play-acting."[44] Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News was less complimentary about Campbell, saying "She adds ZERO coolness. Zero talent. And Zero charisma to [Scream 3]."[45] The BBC's Tom Coates and Elvis Mitchell of the New York Times praised Parker Posey's character, with Mitchell saying "[Jennifer Jolie] alone makes the picture worth seeing. Dizzy and nakedly – hilariously – ambitious, she's so flighty she seems to be levitating."[44][46] So well received was Posey's character that she received an MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance nomination in 2000 for the role, although she lost to Adam Sandler for Big Daddy (1999).[27] Mitchell also praised the characters of Sarah Darling (McCarthy), Tyson Fox (Richmond) and Steven Stone (Warburton), calling them "assets" to the film. In 2001, as part of the American Film Institute''s AFI 100 Years... series, the character of Ghostface became one of the four hundred nominees in the "100 Heroes and Villains" category.[47]

On the characters of Scream 4, Film 4 complimented the new additions to the cast, isolating Robbie Mercer and Charlie Walker as the best of the new characters,[48] while the Los Angeles Times called Panettiere's film-nerd Kirby Reed "feisty", labeling her the most "intriguing" new addition to the series.[49]

The first season of Scream has received an mixed response from critics. On the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, it has a rating of 47%, based on 29 reviews, with a 5.4/10 average rating. The site's critical consensus reads, "Lacking truly compelling characters or scenarios, Scream is forced to trade too heavily on nostalgia for its big-screen predecessors in the franchise."[50] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the series has a score of 57 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[51]

In a positive review, David Hinckley from New York Daily News awarded the pilot four out of five stars and stated, "Happily, Scream maintains a sense of humor, reinforced with snappy, self-aware pop culture dialogue."[52] Similarly, Brian Lowry of Variety commended the show's ability to maintain suspense "without much actually happening during the rest of the episode," noting its use of music, but expressing skepticism if the series could maintain its originality.[53] Aedan Juvet of PopWrapped gave a positive assessment of the series and called it, "a prime example of a game-changing horror series."[54] Conversely, David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle panned the series and gave it one out of four stars, criticizing the acting performances as "bland, robotic, and uninteresting" as well as its apparent lack of racial diversity.[55] In a mixed review, Mark Perigard of the Boston Herald gave the show a C+, saying, "There are a few scares here, but while the Scream films kept audiences jumping, Scream: The TV series risks putting viewers to sleep."[56]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Craven, Wes (Director) (1996). Scream (DVD). United States: Dimension Films.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Craven, Wes (Director), Williamson, Kevin (writer) (December 20, 1996). Scream : Commentary (DVD). United States: Dimension Films. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d Rico, Diana (October 31, 2001). E! A True Hollywood Story: Scream. E! Online (Television Production). United States: E! Entertainment Television.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Craven, Wes (Director) (1997). Scream 2 (DVD). United States: Dimension Films.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Craven, Wes (Director) (2000). Scream 3 (DVD). United States: Dimension Films.
  6. ^ a b Wayans, Keenen Ivory (Director) (2000). Scary Movie (DVD). United States: Dimension Films.
  7. ^ Craven, Wes (Director) (September 26, 2000). Ultimate Scream Collection: DVD Bonus Feature Screen Tests (DVD). United States: Dimension Films.
  8. ^ a b "Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA". Internet Movie Database. Amazon.com. July 23, 1997. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  9. ^ a b c Bell, J. Albert (Writer), Belofsky, Rachel (Writer), Bohusz, Michael Derek (Writer) (2006). Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (DVD). United States: Starz Entertainment.
  10. ^ a b c d e Kevin Williamson (1997). "Scream 2 screenplay by Kevin Williamson". imsdb.com. Internet Movie Script Database. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g "Scream 2 rewritten after script leak". Hollywood.com. Hollywood.com. April 30, 2010. Archived from the original on December 6, 2012. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Wes Craven (Director) (2011). Scream 4. United States: Dimension Films.
  13. ^ "The Ending Of Scream (2022) Explained". Looper.com.
  14. ^ a b Kevin Williamson (July 1, 1995). "Scream (Scary Movie)". imsdb.com. Internet Movie Script Database. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  15. ^ a b Craven, Wes (Director) (September 26, 2000). Behind the 'Scream' (DVD). United States: Dimension Home Video.
  16. ^ a b c d e f Farrands, Daniel (Director) Hutson (Writer) (April 6, 2011). Scream: The Inside Story (TV). United States: The Biography Channel Video.
  17. ^ a b Craven, Wes (Director), Lussier, Patrick (Editor), Maddalena, Marianne (Producer) (February 4, 2000). Scream 3: Commentary (DVD). United States: Dimension Films. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  18. ^ Hewitt, Chris; Quick, Lucy (March 6, 2011). "Carry on Screaming". Empire Magazine. Bauer Consumer Media (262): 106.
  19. ^ "Sunrise Studios - Vanishing Acts". Sunrise Sucks. Archived from the original on November 20, 2000. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  20. ^ a b c "Past Saturn Awards". saturnawards.org. The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. Archived from the original on February 10, 2005. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
  21. ^ a b "1998 MTV Movie Awards". mtv.com. MTV. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
  22. ^ Craven, Wes (Director), Marianne Maddalena (Producer) and Patrick Lussier (Editor) (December 7, 1997). Scream 2 : Commentary (time - 37:20) (DVD). United States: Dimension Films. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  23. ^ Bendick, Bob (November 30, 2009). "Matthew Lillard and I do the talk talk". bobbendickpodcast.com. Acme Comedy. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  24. ^ Ragland, Vanessa; Stratton, Cole (July 2010). "PMC 13: Matthew Lillard (Relevant information - 26 minutes in)". popmyculturepodcast.com. Pop My Culture. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
  25. ^ Ehren Kruger; Kevin Williamson (May 2, 1999). "Scream 3 Early Draft: 2nd draft revised". Internet Movie Script Database. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  26. ^ a b Craven, Wes (Director), Marianne Maddalena (Producer) and Patrick Lussier (Editor) (February 2, 2000). Scream 3: Commentary (DVD). United States: Dimension Films. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  27. ^ a b c "MTV Movie Awards 2000". mtv.com. MTV. June 3, 2000. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  28. ^ White, James (May 21, 2010). "Ashley Greene Offered Scream 4's Lead". Empire. Bauer Media Group. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  29. ^ Reynolds, Simon (June 25, 2010). "Craven's 'Scream 4' loses cast member". digitalspy.com. Digital Spy Limited. Archived from the original on July 14, 2010. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
  30. ^ "Lauren Graham confirms 'Scream 4' role". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi UK. June 17, 2010. Archived from the original on June 19, 2010. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  31. ^ MacKenzie, Carina Adly (July 1, 2010). "'Scream 4' shuffle: The 411 on Lauren Graham's exit, Adam Brody's entry and script changes". Zap2it. Tribune Media Services. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  32. ^ "Is Kirby in Scream 2022? Did She Survive Scream 4?". Screen Rant. January 14, 2022.
  33. ^ Schillachi, Sophie (April 7, 2011). "'Scream 4's' Nico Tortorella's throwback audition: Resurrecting Billy Loomis". Zap2it. Tribune Media Services. Archived from the original on April 10, 2011. Retrieved April 7, 2011.
  34. ^ Spelling, Ian (May 1997). "Scream and Scream Again". Fangoria. Starlog Group Inc. (162): 66–68.
  35. ^ "1997 MTV Movie Awards". mtv.com. MTV. June 7, 1997. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  36. ^ a b "1998 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films". Internet Movie Database. June 10, 1998. Retrieved April 2, 2011.
  37. ^ "MTV Movie Award Nominations". digitalspy.co.uk. Digital Spy. April 18, 2000. Retrieved April 2, 2011.
  38. ^ "2000 Movie Awards Summary". mtv.com. MTV. June 3, 2000. Retrieved April 2, 2011.
  39. ^ Klady, Leonard (December 21, 1996). "Scream". variety.com. Variety. Retrieved April 2, 2011.
  40. ^ Ebert, Roger (December 12, 1997). "Scream 2". suntimes.com. Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  41. ^ Muir, John Kenneth (February 24, 2004). Wes Craven: The Art of Horror. McFarland. ISBN 0786419237.
  42. ^ Leonard, Klady (December 8, 1997). "Scream 2". variety.com. Variety. Archived from the original on April 18, 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  43. ^ Ebert, Roger (February 4, 2000). "Scream 3". suntimes.com. Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
  44. ^ a b Mitchell, Elvis (February 4, 2000). "Scream 3 (2000)". The New York Times. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  45. ^ Knowles, Harry (February 5, 2000). "Scream 3". aintitcool.com. Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
  46. ^ Coates, Tom (May 24, 2001). "Scream 3 (2000)". bbc.com. British Broadcasting Company. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  47. ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains" (PDF). American Film Institute (Press release). National Endowment for the Art. June 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 7, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  48. ^ Bray, Catherine (April 2011). "Scream 4". film4.com. Film 4. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  49. ^ Sharkey, Betsy (April 15, 2011). "Movie review: 'Scream 4'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  50. ^ "Scream, Season 1". rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  51. ^ "Reviews for Scream, Season 1". metacritic.com.
  52. ^ Hinckley, David (June 29, 2015). "'Scream' review: MTV series borrows from movie". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  53. ^ Lowry, Brian (June 28, 2015). "TV Review: MTV's 'Scream'". Variety. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  54. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  55. ^ Wiegand, David (June 26, 2015). "MTV slasher series more a whimper than a 'Scream'". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  56. ^ Perigard, Mark (June 30, 2015). "MTV's 'Scream' series doesn't live up to film franchise". Boston Herald. Retrieved July 1, 2016.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""