The most recent addition to the legendary slasher series, ‘Scream 7’, was supposed to be a shocking reversion to the bloody origins of the series.
As Sidney Prescott returned and original writer Kevin Williamson was creatively involved, many fans anticipated the movie to provide the type of devastating twists that used to characterize the series. Instead, the film takes a rather safe decision. And it might influence the future of the franchise in some unforeseen ways.
‘Scream 7’ Breaks A Long-Standing Slasher Tradition
Although ‘Scream 7’ still provided the tension, gore, and Ghostface carnage that viewers anticipated. However, it conspicuously lacked one of the traditions that have always characterized the series: the murder of beloved returning characters. The most notable thing about ‘Scream 7’ is that all the key returning characters do not die.
Related: Courteney Cox Reveals The Torture Behind ‘Scream’s Explosive Final Act
It implies that Sidney manages to survive another run-in with Ghostface. In the meantime, the old-time reporter, Gale Weathers, also leaves once again. This marked her seventh escape with the masked murderer. Even more recent returning characters, such as Mindy Meeks-Martin and Chad Meeks-Martin, can get out of the mess again.
This is a strange departure for longtime fans. Traditionally, the ‘Scream’ series has been known for shocking emotional deaths. The original movie shocked the viewers by murdering Casey Becker in the first scene, even though the actor was a huge star.
Subsequent films provided equally heart-wrenching scenes, such as the killing of popular character Randy Meeks in ‘Scream 2’ and the tragic death of Dewey Riley in Scream. ‘Scream 7’ is much more protective of its legacy characters compared to those moments, which could be due to the rough production of the film and significant cast changes.
Why This Choice Could Affect ‘Scream 8’
Although it may satisfy the fans to retain their favorite characters, it leaves the storytelling with a challenge. At the conclusion of the movie, the franchise has an unexpectedly large number of surviving characters. Sidney and her family are still the main focus of the story. Wheras, Gale, Mindy, and Chad are the representatives of the new generation of survivors.
In case you missed it: ‘Scream 7’ Breaks Its Own Ghostface Formula In Bold New Twist
That puts ‘Scream 8’ in a difficult balancing act. The second sequel will be forced to split its focus among several groups of returning characters, all the time introducing a new Ghostface mystery and new victims.
That overcrowded cast may take away the feeling of danger that made ‘Scream’ so exciting in a franchise based on unpredictability. And the magic of the series was, after all, never knowing who was next. Should the following movie wish to rekindle that fear, it might ultimately need to make a far more difficult and more outrageous decision.
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