Spoiler Warning: This Article Contains Spoilers for Scream (2022)Scream 6 shares a timeline advantage with Scream 2 in the way that each movie takes place only one year after its predecessor. This one-year gap is only the second time this has happened in the Scream franchise. The gap between Scream 2 and Scream 3 was two years, with the subsequent two entries each having 11-year gaps.
The conclusion of 2022’s Scream saw new protagonist Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) end up the primary survivor, joined by her younger sister, Tara (Jenna Ortega). Twin siblings Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding) also survived their encounters with Ghostface. All four individuals will be returning in Scream 6, along with Scream 4 survivor Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere).
Scream 6 Shares Scream 2’s Real-World Timeline Benefit
As only a year has passed since the events of 2022’s Scream, what happened in that movie is still fresh in the audience’s minds. This worked for Scream 2 as audiences felt a connection to the returning characters of Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), Dewey Riley (David Arquette), and Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy). The timing also made it more shocking when Randy was suddenly killed by Ghostface and then Dewey seemed to succumb to the slasher before it was later revealed that he survived.
Scream 2 was the first movie in the series to establish that returning characters aren’t necessarily safe. This raised the stakes in Scream 3, but the trick wasn’t continued and by Scream 4 the audience again could expect that Sidney, Gale, and Dewey were probably going to make it out alive. Dewey’s death in Scream 2022 was certainly impactful, but it came after Dewey already survived so many encounters with Ghostface.
How Scream 6 Can Use This Timeline Advantage
As the audience has gotten to know its returning characters, the stakes of Scream 6 are going to be higher again. The teaser trailer for the movie has already hinted that Mindy Meeks-Martin might be receiving the same fate as her uncle, Randy. However, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett could be anticipating this resulting presumption.
One way that Scream 6 can subvert these expectations is by revealing that Jenna Ortega’s Tara Carpenter is the true protagonist now, instead of Sam. After appearing in Ti West’s X and Tim Burton’s hugely successful Wednesday series, Ortega has grown into a much bigger star since the release of Scream 2022. As Ortega has hinted she’ll have a bigger role in the sequel, perhaps Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett decided to take advantage of her new star power. Making Tara the protagonist can also help resolve Sam being the daughter of Billy Loomis. The end of Scream suggested that Sam is unhinged, and Scream 6 might end up playing into this.
