Directed by Ready Or Not’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the story followed siblings Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega) who discover their family history has ties with the original killings in Woodsboro and end up embroiled in a new set of killings undertaken by Ghostface.

The film starts with Tara getting attacked by Ghostface, causing her estranged sister Sam to come home to look after her: “In the fifth one, they had been estranged for many, many years,” Barrera says. “And so it was them coming together.

“[But] with Tara being in the hospital and constantly getting attacked, it didn’t really give room to properly explore the colours of a relationship.”

Now the pair are back for Scream VI and Barrera tells us that the new movie really explores Tara and Sam’s bond: “I think it’s a true sister relationship in this movie,” she nods. “In Scream VI, you get to see all the ups and downs of siblings. You get to see the love, you get to see the protection on both sides. You get to see the friction of ‘give me space you can’t be with me all the time!’” she laughs.

Scream VI is set in New York and sees Tara attending college. However, after the trauma of what happened to them in Woodsboro, Sam has moved to New York too, to keep a close eye on her sister.

“I think it’s such a human, such a real thing, to have all of these colours to a relationship and it’s beautiful that we get to see them because it really grounds the story,” Barrera continues.

It’s not just Melissa and Jenna who have returned to star in Scream VI, they’re joined by the entire ‘core four’ with Mason Gooding who plays Chad and Jasmin Savoy Brown who plays Mindy.

That’s not all, the movie also sees the return of OG Scream star Courtney Cox who has returned as Gale Weathers, and Hayden Panettiere who plays Kirby (from Scream 4), alongside returning Scream V directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.

For Barrera, reuniting with her sibling co-star Jenna Ortega for the sixth movie in the franchise and getting to explore that sibling bond has been particularly special when set against the bloody slasher backdrop.

“This franchise can be so heightened sometimes, you have the big kills and the comedy, but the sibling story really grounds it and gives it a lot of depth and a lot of heart. So it’s beautiful that we get to do that,” she says.

“I also just love Jenna so much, getting to act with her and getting to do all those quiet moments with her in the midst of all the chaos is beautiful.”

Scream VI is available to Download & Keep now and on DVD, Blu-ray & 4K Ultra HD from 10th July. Read our review here.

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“It does a lot of work to make them feel respected and seen and appreciated,” he continues. “There’s a lot of other horror movies that are very mean with their violence and their kills. Scream is not one of them – I think you leave the movie feeling better than you came into it.”

Gooding plays Chad in the upcoming addition to the horror franchise, one of the ‘core four’ – the four survivors from the previous ‘requel’ movie, Scream, which was released in 2022.

Now, if all of this sequel, requel and franchise stuff is getting a bit confusing, we’ll give you a quick tour right here. The original Scream was released back in 1996 and gave the slasher movie a new lick of paint with its clever – and very meta – take on the genre.

Directed by horror legend Wes Craven, it followed Sidney (Neve Campbell), Gale (Courteney Cox) and Dewey (David Arquette), who were all trying to escape and find the real identity of the Ghostface killer who is terrorising the quiet suburban town of Woodsboro.

Scream had a direct sequel with Scream 2 in 1997, and then another, Scream 3 in 2000, all directed by Craven.

There was then a bit of a gap in Scream movies, but Craven returned to the franchise in 2011 for Scream 4, which was sadly to be his final Scream movie before he died.

It starred the survivors from the original cast alongside Emma Roberts as Sidney’s cousin Jill and Hayden Panettiere as Kirby (who returns to the franchise in Scream VI). 

That could have been the end of the franchise if it wasn’t for the flurry of ‘requels’ gracing the silver screen in the past few years. A requel is basically a movie set within a franchise, and revisits the subject of an earlier film, but that does not necessarily mean it is a remake or a linear continuation of its plot (i.e not a sequel). 

Films like Mad Max: Fury Road, Halloween (2018) and Creed have done this successfully, and so did Scream when it was released in 2022. 

Directed by Ready Or Not’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the duo were the perfect pair to take on a new movie fad via a franchise that famously discusses movie fads within its storyline. 

Now the pair are back with Scream VI, and things are changing up once again with the usual setting of Woodsboro being moved to New York. It’s also the first movie with just one Scream alumni in it, with Cox returning once more as Gale Weathers. 

Okay, all caught up? Good. Back with the interviews. 

We’re wondering how a movie that’s set so far apart from the first Scream – in location, time and even without most of the original cast – can still fit within the franchise. And who better to ask than Jasmin Savoy Brown? 

Brown plays Chad’s sister Mindy – the horror geek who tells her friends (and us) the ‘new’ rules of the genre within the movies (she’s also Randy’s niece, the horror geek from the first movie. See how it all fits in?).

“Scream VI fits in this franchise because of Ghostface, the iconic killer,” she tells us. “We have the same theme of family and friends and ‘who could be the killer?’ Anyone could be the killer. But it’s different because this is the most brutal, intense, scary Ghostface that we have seen. It stands out because it takes everything from [Scream 2022] and brings it to another level.”

“He’s definitely killing a lot more people,” agrees Jenna Ortega who plays Tara (another of the ‘core four’). “He’s a lot more careless. 

“Ghostface has typically been shown as falling over himself at times,” she continues. “He’s kind of lovable and funny because he’s got his own little quirks and in this one there’s still definitely those moments but he’s more dangerous [in this movie]. I would say he’s not as methodical. It’s strictly murder.” 

Being part of such an epic franchise means not only does the latest iteration have to feel part of the universe, but to be a real success, it needs to stand out too. 

“I think Scream VI stands out in this franchise because it’s probably the most intense Scream has ever gotten,” Ortega explains  “I think that the horror aspect really comes into play in this one.” 

That new setting plays a big part too in ensuring the movie carves (sorry) a path of its own.”It’s the first time that our franchise has left the West Coast,” nods Melissa Barrera, who plays Tara’s sister Sam. “So now it’s a completely different terrain, which makes it exciting and different, because of New York as a character. The city is a character in the movie, and it I think it just raises the stakes.” 

The reason the franchise has changed location is because the core four have done the same. They’ve moved from the quiet suburbs of Woodsboro to go to college in New York City. But surely they’ll be safer in the busier setting?

“They’re definitely trying to distance themselves from the tragedy that took place in Woodsboro,” Gooding explains. “It’s said in the movie that lightning can’t strike twice, so naturally, they’re going to try and move forward with their personal lives. It isn’t until tragedy finds them again, and they’re thrust back into the Ghostface scenario that they have to regroup and find out how a family can really pull them together.”

Indeed, family and friends have always been a major component in the Scream franchise (and not just because one of them could always be the murderer) and Scream VI is no different. The relationship of our four main characters are developed in this movie and shows how they’re all coping and coming together in the aftermath of the tragedy that they saw in Scream 2022. 

“I feel like we established the core four a bit more on this one,” Ortega explains. “They’re sibling pairs and I feel like the dynamic between siblings and also the trauma that we all went through last year… It’s been really fun to elaborate that and I feel like we have a stronger base for characters.” 

It’s that strong family connection that Brown hopes audiences take away from the movie when those credits roll (alongside a few thrills, naturally): “I hope that they take away the power of family and that people of colour are very smart and resourceful,” she tells us. “I hope that they’re impressed and that they’re a little bit scared and excited.”

You can find out whether it did just that in our review here.

Scream 6 will be in cinemas on 8 March 2023. 

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In Scream 6, following the latest Ghostface killings, the four survivors leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York.

Directed by Scream 5 directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the movie sees the return of Melissa Barrera (Keep Breathing), Jasmin Savoy Brown (Yellowjackets), Mason Gooding (Fall), Jenna Ortega (Wednesday), Hayden Panettiere (Heroes) and Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers.

“You can expect an amplified and distilled version of what we’ve always loved about the Scream franchise,” said co-director Tyler Gillett last month when we asked him what we can expect from the new movie. “There’s [also] genuine emotional character work.

“There are really fun chase, action, and kill set pieces. It’s fun. It’s a really really good time, this one.”

So, want to amp up that good time with our latest competition? We have a Scream merch bundle (which includes a hoody and a tote bag), PLUS a £50 Creams voucher to give away!

To be in with a chance of winning this awesome prize, simply answer the question below…

This competition closes on 16 March and is open to UK residents only. See the Terms & Conditions below. Good luck!

• No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability, and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.
• Each Creams voucher will expire on 31.08.2023. After this date voucher will not be eligible for extension or replacement

Scream 6 will be in cinemas on 8 March 2023. Watch more trailers at the SciFiNow You Tube channel.

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Watch the latest trailer here…

Scream VI is a direct follow-up to 2022’s successful Scream ‘requel’ from directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and the duo are back for more Ghostface action, along with producer Chad Villella.

We still have a while until Scream VI is released this March but we just couldn’t wait until then and had to find out more…

What can we expect from Scream VI?

Tyler Gillett: You can expect an amplified and distilled version of what we’ve always loved about the Scream franchise. There’s [also] genuine emotional character work. There are really fun chase, action, and kill set pieces. It’s fun. It’s a really really good time, this one.

What was it like getting everyone back together after 2022’s Scream?

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin: It was a dream come true.

We had some apprehension about it because the fifth movie, our first one, Scream 2022 felt like such a magical experience. I think going into this one we were worried about trying to replicate that and I think we sort of threw that out and were like, ‘fuck it. This has to be its own thing.’

In doing that, it became another magical experience for us. So that was really special.

It was just great seeing everybody. The funny thing is, it’s only been a year, but everybody feels so much more mature. They all feel like they’ve really grown up and been through some things and so there’s a lot of fun texture to all the characters in this one if you watch them side by side.

Chad Villella: I can’t express how much love we have for every single cast member and everybody who was involved in both movies and also the new family members that we brought in for this one.

We’ve been very lucky and very fortunate. I think all of us are aware of it, and just really embrace all of our time together.

Scream 2022 was a big success – what do you think it was about that movie that captured audiences’ attention?

Chad Villella: Hopefully it was a little bit of staying true to the tradition of what Scream is and what Scream can be for fans and for people who love movies.

I think it’s part of the daily conversation about what makes both a great horror movie and just a movie in general because there are so many wonderful elements that you can express.

At the end of the day, it’s a really fun whodunnit. You have that mystery element at play as well. I think all of those things combined make it just one of the best franchises in movies ever. We pinch ourselves every day that we’re a part of it, and get to continue the story forward.

Was there anything you wanted to expand upon from the last movie for this one?

Tyler Gillett: You always learn unexpected things. I think that goes for the process of making it but also just what path the story should take. What we learned on the last one was that we had a real opportunity to bring this franchise back into people’s lives, and that there were things that we had to do to achieve that. A lot of what we had to do was really pay homage to the movies that came before and recognise and show people that we understood that we were in a lineage of movies that we consider ourselves to be just deep, deep, deep fans of. So we had to play the greatest hits.

I think what we learned having played the greatest hits, is that Scream VI wouldn’t be the right kind of movie if we showed up and did the same thing – if we played the greatest hits again.

That isn’t to say that this isn’t a Scream movie in all the ways that I think people hope for and are going to feel comfortable experiencing, but we had to challenge ourselves and challenge the material of what this franchise is and could be. So we learned that we had to cut the brake lines on this movie. There’s an energy in this movie, in New York. The process just feels challenging and a really fun risk. We hope that people see that in the movie.

The trailer shows that Scream VI will take place in New York – how will the setting change affect the Scream formula?

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin: It puts a lot of it in public. That is a big change. We learned from the last one and then were able to really apply to this one – because it was set in New York – is that we were able to do these really big set pieces in this one and these chase scenes that I think in the last one for budgetary reasons we just weren’t able to do.

In this one, once it was set in New York… when Guy [Busick] and Jamie [Vanderbilt] were writing it, they were really meticulous about setting up these set pieces that were very New York-specific. A lot of it deals with fear of public places and being alone in a crowd. That’s something we haven’t really seen in Scream yet. So it’s a new flavour that was super fun for us to create.

The trailer also promises a whole new Ghostface – what does that mean?

Tyler Gillett: I think what’s very different about this Ghostface is that there is a fearlessness and a relentlessness. Obviously, that slasher icon has always been terrifying and brazen and relentless, but because of the setting and because of what that setting forced us to achieve, that character has to take some risks and some chances that maybe we haven’t seen before.

We love the pratt-falling Ghostface, he has a dear place in our hearts. This Ghostface is very physical and very capable in ways that are genuinely, genuinely terrifying.

Scream 2022 was very meta – will you be going down a similar path for Scream VI?

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin: We kept going back to this idea that we had to just not do what we did in Scream V. That was fun to build in all those Easter Eggs and be super meta, and there is a level of that for sure because I think we’d be disappointed as fans if Scream wasn’t aware of itself. The movies kind of have to be on some level.

But one of the things in this one that I think is really fun is that a lot of that meta-ness gets baked into the plot in a very intentional way. So it’s a different approach to it.

What are you looking forward to audiences seeing in Scream VI?

Tyler Gillett: Everybody in the returning cast I think and this goes across the board, the newcomers are incredible as well. There’s a level of depth and nuance and emotion in those relationships, specifically between Sam and Tara, Melissa [Barrera] and Jenna [Ortega]’s characters that I think people are going to just… it feels really good.

What’s happening emotionally at the heart of this movie is really complicated. It’s a big, fun, action horror slasher, but there’s a real heart and those characters – and those two actors – represent it so well. This one has a surprising level of emotional depth.

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin: One of the things we all love in movies is when there are really well-designed stand-up-and-cheer moments. We really just took the time to make sure that we had a few of those where if you’re on board with the movie and you’re connecting with the characters, there are a few moments that hopefully will just really be satisfying.

Chad Villella: The movie is fun. Just go with a big group of people and just have a blast!

We certainly shall!

Scream 6 will be in cinemas on 10 March 2023. Watch more trailers at the SciFiNow You Tube channel.

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