Matthew Lillard is right about the Reboot Scream movies, but he’s missing an important point

With Scream 7 Finally in development after some pre-production issues, franchise veterans have shared their opinion on the rebooted films, among them Matthew Lillard, and while he’s right about them, he’s missing one big point. Although Scream 4 gave Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), and Dewey Riley (David Arquette) a fitting end in 2011, the franchise has come back to life in 2022 thanks to the trend of reboots and legacy sequels. Scream (2022) reunited the original trio of survivors and a new generation of characters, led by Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega).

The plan was to Scream (2022) will be the start of a new trilogy with Sam and Tara as the new Final Girls accompanied by some legacy characters. However, Campbell did not return to Scream 6 due to salary disputes and Scream 7 will not have Barrera and Ortega back, as Barrera was fired and Ortega dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Scream 7 will now have Campbell back, prompting other franchise veterans to share their thoughts on the new films. Among them is Matthew Lillard, and although he is right about Scream 6he is missing the most important point of the franchise.

Matthew Lillard thought Scream 6 was too violent – but that’s the point

Scream 6 had to do things differently

Talking to GamesRadar+ In November 2024, Matthew Lillard was asked about his thoughts on the Scream franchise and its reboot films. Lillard shared that he thinks the franchise is in “a good place“And I loved what directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin did with the new films, saying they were catching on.”a really exciting way”. However, Lillard found Scream 6 be very violent and feels that the new films are trying to repeat what he and the rest of the original cast did in the first Scream film in many ways.

Lillard used the “manic monologue” at the end of the film as an example of what Scream the films tried to replicate the original, but expect Kevin Williamson to take the franchise in a “new, bold and exciting direction.” Lillard is right that Scream 6 went for a more violent Ghostface killing spree, but that’s also part of what makes the franchise what it is. The essence of Scream saga is how it approaches, uses and satirizes clichés of the slasher genre, with each film covering different.

Scream 4for example, it dealt with horror remakes, while Scream (2022) covered the trend of “requels” and Scream 6 it was about horror franchises. The slasher genre has changed a lot since the first three Scream films were released and saw more graphic and violent films such as Terrifying and Pearlamong many others. It makes sense, then, that Scream 6 it was more violent, as it fits into the modern clichés of the genre that the franchise has to address, as it always has.

The director of Scream 7 does not guarantee that the Reboot trilogy will be saved

Scream 7 has the creator of the franchise as director

After Barrera’s dismissal, Ortega left and director Christopher Landon also left the project, Scream 7 now it’s back with a new script, new director and new/old main character. Scream 7 is being directed by franchise creator Kevin Williamsonwho also wrote the first two Scream films and Scream 4. As mentioned above, Scream 7 will have Neve Campbell back as Sidney Prescott, and is likely to bring back other legacy characters such as Sidney’s husband Mark Kincaid (Patrick Dempsey) and Gale.

Having Williamson and Campbell back is good for Scream 7 after the many problems it’s already been through, but their presence doesn’t immediately guarantee that the reboot trilogy will be saved. The biggest criticism Scream the reboot films received (which fits Lillard’s words) is that they recycled the stories from the first films in the franchise. Scream (2022) is practically a modern remake of the first film, and Scream 6 copied the family connection into the identity of the Ghostface killers who Scream 2 did in 1997.

Directed by Williamson Scream 7 it may bring a familiar style to the film, but it still runs the risk of being more of the same and not something new. At this point, Scream 7 is expected to be inspired by Scream 3 and having a major twist revealed in the identity of the new Ghostface killer(s), which, if it happens, would be a disappointing end to the franchise.

Scream 7 still needs to avoid the nostalgia trap

Scream 7 has big challenges to overcome

In addition to the above problem of recycling the stories and gimmicks from the first films, Scream 7 you still need to avoid the infamous nostalgia trap. Unlike other recently revived horror franchises, the Scream Rebooted films haven’t had a huge nostalgia problem – their problem is the lack of originality in their stories and the identities of the killers. However, Scream 7 runs a greater risk of falling into the nostalgia trap with the return of Williamson and Campbell, and even more so if Gale and Kincaid also return.

The key to avoiding this is to carry forward Sidney, Kincaid, and Gale’s stories rather than relying on their past stories, and this also means that the new Ghostface killer can’t be someone tied to their past. Scream 7 There are big challenges ahead, such as keeping up with the essence of the franchise and at the same time bringing something new and exciting with old characters.

Source: GamesRadar+.