List of Scream (film series) characters
The American slasher film [Scream |series Scream] features a large cast of characters, many of whom were created by Kevin Williamson with contributions from Wes Craven and Ehren Kruger, and subsequently by new writers Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt with contributions from directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and producer Chad Villella. The series comprises seven films: Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4, Scream, and Scream VI, with Scream 7 the filming of which has been wrapped.
The series focuses on a succession of murderers who adopt a ghost-like disguise, dubbed Ghostface who taunt and attempt to kill Sidney Prescott in the first four films. She is assisted by ambitious news reporter Gale Weathers and police officer Dewey Riley. The fifth and sixth films shift focus to half-sisters Sam and Tara Carpenter and twin siblings Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin, referred to as the "Core Four" in the sixth film, while the seventh film will "start from scratch" with regards to its principal cast. Other major recurring characters include film-geek Randy Meeks, falsely accused Cotton Weary, single mother Judy Hicks, and FBI agent Kirby Reed.
The first four films in the series were directed by Craven and scored by Marco Beltrami. Williamson wrote Scream, Scream 2 and Scream 4, but scheduling commitments meant he could provide only notes for Scream 3, which was written by Ehren Kruger. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett directed the fifth and sixth films, with writing duties helmed by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick.
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.
Cast overview
Introduced in ''Scream'' (1996)
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
- Portrayed by Henry Winkler
- Appeared in: Scream
- Status: Deceased
Scream producer Bob Weinstein had Himbry's death added to the film after he realized that the film had "30 pages of script" without a death occurring. 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. 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.
Winkler was uncredited in the film and was absent from posters and trailers.
Billy Loomis
- Portrayed by Skeet Ulrich
- Appeared in: Scream, Scream , and Scream VI
- Status: Deceased
In Scream 2, Billy's mother seeks revenge on Sidney for Billy's death. 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. In Scream, it is revealed that Billy cheated on Sidney during the events of the first film, fathering a daughter named [|Sam] Carpenter. Billy appears in her visions throughout the film and Scream VI, encouraging her to fight back against the killers trying to murder her, appearing both as the good man Sam wished he was, and also tempting her to become Ghostface herself.
In "Stab", the fictional film within a film based on the murders, Billy is portrayed by Luke Wilson. The character is parodied in the film Scary Movie as Bobby Prinze, portrayed by Jon Abrahams.
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.
Casey Becker
- Portrayed by Drew Barrymore
- Appeared in: Scream and Scream 7
- Status: Deceased
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.
Several scenes leading to Casey's eventual death gave rise to disputes between Craven and the Motion Picture Association of America, 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.
Cotton Weary
- Portrayed by Liev Schreiber
- Appeared in: Scream, Scream 2, and Scream 3
- Status: Deceased
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. Following the leak of the script on the Internet, extensive rewrites were undertaken, changing this plot.
Dewey Riley
- Portrayed by David Arquette
- Appeared in: Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4, Scream, Scream VI, and Scream 7
- Status: Deceased
Dewey had been intended to die in the finale of the first installment of Scream. 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.
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.
In Stab, the fictional film within a film based on the Ghostface murders, and again in Stab 3, Dewey is portrayed by David Schwimmer and fictional actor Tom Prinze, respectively.
Gale Weathers
- Portrayed by Courteney Cox
- Appeared in: Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4, Scream, Scream VI, and Scream 7
- Status: Alive
In the fictional Stab series of films within a film, Gale is portrayed by fictional actress [|Jennifer Jolie].
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. 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. 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.
Ghostface
- Portrayed by Roger L. Jackson, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, Laurie Metcalf, Timothy Olyphant, Scott Foley, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin, Mikey Madison, Jack Quaid, Tony Revolori, Dermot Mulroney, Jack Champion, Liana Liberato, Melissa Barrera
- Appeared in: Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4, Scream, Scream, Scream VI, and Scream 7
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, but his contribution was retained because Craven felt he imbued the voice with a truly evil malevolence. 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.
Hank Loomis
- Portrayed by C.W. Morgan
- Appeared in: Scream, and Scream 3
- Status: Alive
Kenny Jones
- Portrayed by W. Earl Brown
- Appeared in: Scream
- Status: Deceased
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.
Maureen Prescott
- Portrayed by Lynn McRee
- Appeared in: Scream , Scream 2, Scream 3, and Scream 4
- Status: Deceased
Scream 4 introduces Maureen's sister Kate Roberts and her niece Jill Roberts. Sidney observing a photo gallery of Maureen in Kate's home was filmed for Scream 4, but it was deleted from the final cut. Scream shows Gale's remorse for writing the book about her murder, believing she is responsible for the Ghostface killings after. Sidney reassures her, however, that it was Billy Loomis who started it and they will end it.
Neil Prescott
- Portrayed by Lawrence Hecht
- Appeared in: Scream, and Scream 3
- Status: Unknown
Randy Meeks
- Portrayed by Jamie Kennedy
- Appeared in: Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, and Scream
- Status: Deceased
In the published screenplay for Scream, an alternate ending had Randy kill Stu before asking Sidney out on a date. 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. 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.
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. 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. The production team itself, however, was adamant that Kennedy was the best choice and fought successfully to keep him in.
Sidney Prescott
- Portrayed by Neve Campbell
- Appeared in: Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4, Scream, and Scream 7
- Status: Alive
In the fictional films within a film Stab and Stab 2, based on the murders, Sidney is portrayed by Tori Spelling as herself. In Stab 3: Return to Woodsboro, she would have been portrayed by fictional actress Angelina Tyler; however, Angelina is killed by Ghostface.
Neve Campbell won the Saturn Award for Best Actress in 1997 for her role as Sidney Prescott in Scream and the MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance in 1998 for her role in Scream 2. 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.
Steve Orth
- Portrayed by Kevin Patrick Walls
- Appeared in: Scream
- Status: Deceased
Walls auditioned for the part of Billy Loomis, but took the smaller role of Steve when Ulrich was cast as Billy.
Stu Macher
- Portrayed by Matthew Lillard
- Appeared in: Scream, Scream VI, and Scream 7
- Status: Deceased
Matthew Lillard has an uncredited cameo at a sorority party in Scream 2. 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. 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. Many of Lillard's notable and humorous lines in the film were improvised. 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. Lillard also subsequently made vocal cameos in Scream 3 and Scream as the voice of Ghostface respectively using a voice changer and in the film within a film Stab 8, and appearing again as a background partygoer in Scream, participating in the "To Wes!" toast. Stu's photo can be seen on the investigation board in Scream VI, while his red robe worn at the end of the first film and the TV used to kill him can be seen in the Ghostface shrine. Kirby Reed ultimately uses the same TV to kill Ethan.
Lillard has been confirmed as part of the cast of Scream 7, with Lillard hinting that he'll reprise his role as Stu in spite of his character's death.
Tatum Riley
- Portrayed by Rose McGowan
- Appeared in: Scream
- Status: Deceased
Twenty-five years after her death, her older brother Dewey is shown in possession of her ashes in his trailer.
Actresses Marley Shelton, Melinda Clarke and Rebecca Gayheart also auditioned for the role, however, McGowan was cast as Tatum because the production team felt she best embodied the "spunky" nature of the character. McGowan put herself in charge of Tatum's wardrobe, as she conceived her character less tomboyish and more cute and appealing than the costume designer Cynthia Bergstrom had devised. She even extended it to Tatum's bedroom by removing the posters of the Indigo Girls and replaced them with kitten posters. Additionally, in order to distinguish her character from Neve Campbell's, McGowan had to dye her hair blonde.
Tatum's death, like those of Casey Becker and Kenny Brown, 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. While filming Tatum's death scene, McGowan discovered she actually could fit through the pet flap and as a result, she would fall out of it during filming. The producer had to staple her clothes to the flap to prevent her from falling out of it again.
Introduced in ''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 Nancy Loomis, the mother of Scream killer Billy Loomis.Cici Cooper
- Portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar
- Appeared in: Scream 2
- Status: Deceased
Nancy Loomis
- Portrayed by Laurie Metcalf
- Appeared in: Scream 2, and Scream VI
- Status: Deceased
In the original Scream 2 script, Nancy worked with Hallie and Derek, not Mickey, though she still killed her allies. She intended to frame Cotton for the murders, but he managed to stab and kill her. After the script leaked on to the Internet, it underwent rewrites that removed this ending.
In Scream VI, Mrs. Loomis' first name is revealed to have been "Nancy", listed on Kirby Reed's FBI list of previous killers with their photo and death year.
Derek Feldman
- Portrayed by Jerry O'Connell
- Appeared in: Scream 2
- Status: Deceased
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. After the script was leaked on the Internet, it underwent rewrites, removing this ending.
Hallie McDaniel
- Portrayed by Elise Neal
- Appeared in: Scream 2
- Status: Deceased
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. After the script was leaked on the Internet, it underwent rewrites, removing this ending.
Joel Martin
- Portrayed by Duane Martin
- Appeared in: Scream 2
- Status: Alive
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". He finally 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. In Scream and Scream VI, he is implied to be the husband of Martha Meeks and the father of Mindy and [|Chad] Meeks-Martin.
Maureen Evans and Phil Stevens
- Portrayed by Jada Pinkett and Omar Epps
- Appeared in: Scream 2
- Status: Both deceased
Mickey Altieri
- Portrayed by Timothy Olyphant
- Appeared in: Scream 2, and Scream VI
- Status: Deceased
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.
Scream VI sees a new Ghostface in NYC who attacks the remaining four survivors from the previous film. The new killer is leaving masks worn by past Ghostfaces. After an attack at Sam and Tara's apartment the killer leaves the mask used by Mickey and Mrs. Loomis. Later on a photo of Mickey and all the other past killers can be seen while Kirby Reed is investigating.
Mickey is the only Ghostface killer who was a serial killer prior to adopting the Ghostface moniker.
''Stab'' Casey Becker
- Portrayed by Heather Graham
- Appeared in: Scream 2, Scream 4, and Scream
- Status: Alive
Film Class Guy #1
- Portrayed by Joshua Jackson
- Appeared in: Scream 2
- Status: Alive
Introduced in ''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
- Portrayed by Emily Mortimer
- Appeared in: Scream 3
- Status: Deceased
In an early version of the script, Angelina was a second Ghostface, Roman's lover and accomplice, with the original draft elaborating that she was a former classmate of Sidney's from Woodsboro, whose real name was 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 scrapped, Craven mentioning in the film's director's commentary that they couldn't get the studio on board with the idea. Editor Patrick Lussier and producer Marianne Maddalena left it ambiguous as to whether Angelina was actually dead due to being dragged off, discussing the idea in the film's commentary. They called her death scene "dubious". In a subsequent Scream Trilogy DVD boxset booklet, Angelina is not listed as a deceased character from Scream 3. This may have just been an oversight, but fans have speculated it is connected to all this other information about the plan to have her as a killer. Scream VI, however, lists Roman Bridger as the only Ghostface in the Hollywood killings, implying Angelina wasn't involved at all.
Christine Hamilton
- Portrayed by Kelly Rutherford
- Appeared in: Scream 3
- Status: Deceased
Jennifer Jolie
- Portrayed by Parker Posey
- Appeared in: Scream 3, and Scream
- Status: Deceased
In the fifth film, Tara sees an image of Jennifer when she uses IMDB to find the cast of the original Stab. In the sixth film, a Jennifer Jolie Retrospective was shown to once be playing in New York City, as indicated by the marquee on the old theatre.
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.
John Milton
- Portrayed by Lance Henriksen
- Appeared in: Scream 3
- Status: Deceased
Mark Kincaid
- Portrayed by Patrick Dempsey
- Appeared in: Scream 3
- Status: Alive
Martha Meeks
- Portrayed by Heather Matarazzo
- Appeared in: Scream 3, and Scream
- Status: Alive
In the DVD commentary, Marianne Maddalena stated that a line reference to Martha being in Hollywood for a game show was deleted, explaining how she bypassed security on the set.
In Scream, Martha is the 39-year-old mother to fraternal twin children: Chad and [|Mindy Meeks-Martin]. Both children are high school seniors, suggesting she became a mother at 21. She leaves snacks for the kids to discuss the new killings, and reunites with Dewey for the first time on-screen since the third film after telling him "Bye Dewey, come visit us soon". She appears speechless at his unkempt appearance, before Chad signals her to leave. Later, a text message sent by Chad reveals he texted Liv that he snuck out of his mother's house behind her back.
Roman Bridger
- Portrayed by Scott Foley
- Appeared in: Scream 3, Scream , Scream VI and Scream 7
- Status: Deceased
In Scream VI, the new Ghostface is leaving behind masks from past killers. After Dr. Stone is murdered in his home, Ghostface leaves Bridger's mask used in the third film. While Detective Bailey and Kirby are investigating, they have all of the killers photos on a board with when they died and which mask was left where. Roman's picture can be seen above "Death: 2000".
Foley was announced as part of the cast of Scream 7, with Foley stating that he'll be playing a small role in the film and hinting he might reprise his role as Roman, though it is unknown what role Roman will play in the film, due to his death in Scream 3.
Sarah Darling
- Portrayed by Jenny McCarthy
- Appeared in: Scream 3
- Status: Deceased
Steven Stone
- Portrayed by Patrick Warburton
- Appeared in: Scream 3
- Status: Deceased
Tom Prinze
- Portrayed by Matt Keeslar
- Appeared in: Scream 3
- Status: Deceased
Tyson Fox
- Portrayed by Deon Richmond
- Appeared in: Scream 3
- Status: Deceased
Introduced in ''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
- Portrayed by Anthony Anderson
- Appeared in: Scream 4
- Status: Deceased
Shortly before he drops to his death, he is still living, despite being impaled in the skull with a knife; this was based on a real-life story that Wes Craven heard about, from a man who took himself to the E.R after being stabbed in the head.
Anderson replaces Rutina Wesley who was intended to portray Marcie Perkins until budget cuts prevented it.
Ross Hoss
- Portrayed by Adam Brody
- Appeared in: Scream 4
- Status: Deceased
Charlie Walker
- Portrayed by Rory Culkin
- Appeared in: Scream 4, and Scream VI
- Status: Deceased
11 years later, Kirby is an FBI agent and visits New York where the latest Ghostface has struck. She shows her wounds Charlie gave her from her attack and later can be seen observing the knife used on her in the Stab shrine. Also a photo of Charlie and all other killers can be seen while Kirby is investigating with Detective Bailey.
Jenny Randall
- Portrayed by Aimee Teegarden
- Appeared in: Scream 4
- Status: Deceased
The next day, Jill gets a call from Jenny's phone in front of Olivia and Kirby, using the Ghostface voice. At Sidney's book signing, the knife used to kill her makes Sidney a material witness to the crime, as Jenny and Marnie's phones are found in Sidney's rental. The film highlights Trevor's infidelity and a small suggestion is Trevor may have cheated on Jill with Jenny. When Jill is revealed as the killer, she expresses rage over Trevor cheating on her.
The PPV version of the film released to streaming in some countries re-dubs some of Olivia's lines, calling Jenny "the other woman" in the car on the way to school, making her murder much more obvious in how personal it may have been.
Wes Craven expressed disappointment in the removal of Jenny and Marnie's crime scene aftermath/autopsy scene, which was to occur sometime after the title card appeared. In the scene, the Woodsboro remake theme became apparent. The scene features Sheriff Dewey Riley, Deputy Sheriff Judy Hicks, the other cops and Craven himself in a coroner cameo, discussing leads, bodily fluid samples, the murder weapon, and explanations for why the girls were home alone. Jenny is tied to a chair like Steven Orth, while Marnie's corpse is hung to the ceiling fan like Casey Becker is hung from the tree in the original opening scene.
The deletion was administered by Bob Weinstein for pacing reasons. While Craven was susceptible to other deleted scenes, he felt the removal of this scene made the remake theme less apparent. Craven further stated, "For whatever reason he felt it wasn't important or necessary. We argued a long time for it. Our working relationship is give and take. He technically has final cut."
Marnie Cooper
- Portrayed by Britt Robertson
- Appeared in: Scream 4
- Status: Deceased
Jenny investigates. Her window is smashed open, and Marnie's corpse falls through, and Jenny is killed moments later. The next day, unbeknown that she has died, Olivia Morris refers to her as "Marnie the Carnie" when she tells Jill that she got a call from her earlier in the morning using the Ghostface voice, indicating animosity between the two. At Sidney's book signing, the knife used to kill her makes Sidney a material witness to the crime, as Jenny and Marnie's phones are found in Sidney's rental. The climax reveals Charlie killed her, and shows footage of Marnie's stabbing to Sidney. The stabbing scene is the first time a character's death is shown, after they are murdered. The scene is from the original shot opening where Marnie is the primary target in the attack, not Jenny, after Jenny is stabbed on the couch and Marnie assumes it is a prank. The scene was available for viewing on the DVD for Scream 4.
A crime scene aftermath scene was shot and famously photographed as a promotional image for the film in 2010. It depicts Marnie hung from a ceiling fan at the Randall household, where the cops photograph the crime scene. Dewey asks them to take Marnie's corpse down. Later, Judy Hicks provides an explanation for why they are home-alone, with Marnie's parents assuming Jenny's parents were at home, while they were away. Against director Wes Craven's wishes, Bob Weinstein who had greater creative power, deleted the scene in the editing room, which was critical to highlight the remake theme. Craven expressed disappointment with this decision, arguing with Weinstein about it. He stated that the remake "was a huge theme" that was sadly "minimized throughout the editing process".
Jill Roberts
- Portrayed by Emma Roberts
- Appeared in: Scream 4, and Scream VI
- Status: Deceased
Envious of Sidney's fame and tired of living in her shadow, 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, mainly because she didn't want to share the spotlight, 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, ruining her plan. An enraged Jill again attempts to kill Sidney, but Sidney, aided by Dewey Riley, Gale Weathers-Riley and Judy Hicks, ultimately beat her and eventually kills Jill by shooting her in the chest, while her plan to become the new "Sidney Prescott" also collapses.
Jill's photo can be seen on an investigation board as Kirby and Detective Bailey investigate the new Ghostface killer. The new killer also leaves behind old masks used in past killings and the one used by Jill and Charlie gets left after Sam and Tara are attacked at a bodega. Jill's outfit she wore while at Kirby's in the final act can also be seen in the Ghostface shrine.
Ashley Greene was considered for the role of Jill before Emma Roberts was cast.
Judy Hicks
- Portrayed by Marley Shelton
- Appeared in: Scream 4, and Scream
- Status: Deceased
In the fifth entry, Judy is promoted to Sheriff. Her son, Wes Hicks, is introduced, portrayed by Dylan Minnette. She is subsequently murdered along with Wes at her home.
A deleted scene for Scream reunited Woodsboro cops, Dewey and Judy in person for Scream, but it was cut to give Arquette's character a better introduction and for the audience to spend more time with the newer characters.
Lake Bell was given the role of Judy, but she dropped out only four days before filming was to begin, citing scheduling conflicts. Hicks is Shelton's first role she has been asked to reprise, and she is also the first sequel performer to star in another sequel.
Kate Roberts
- Portrayed by Mary McDonnell
- Appeared in: Scream 4
- Status: Deceased
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.
Kirby Reed
- Portrayed by Hayden Panettiere
- Appeared in: Scream 4, Scream , and Scream VI
- Status: Alive
In Scream, a visual clue reveals that Kirby survived her injuries and participated in an interview about the attacks, making her the sole survivor of the 2011 killing spree, although her whereabouts are unknown. In May 2022, Panettiere officially signed on to be a cast member in the upcoming 2023 film Scream VI, indicating Kirby's return.
In Scream VI, Kirby returns as an FBI agent investigating the latest Ghostface killings in New York City. She is revealed to have known Sam when they were both in high school, Sam having been a freshman when Kirby was a senior.
Olivia Morris
- Portrayed by Marielle Jaffe
- Appeared in: Scream 4
- Status: Deceased
Rebecca Walters
- Portrayed by Alison Brie
- Appeared in: Scream 4
- Status: Deceased
Robbie Mercer
- Portrayed by Erik Knudsen
- Appeared in: Scream 4
- Status: Deceased
Trevor Sheldon
- Portrayed by Nico Tortorella
- Appeared in: Scream 4
- Status: Deceased
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.
Introduced in ''Scream'' (2022)
Sam Carpenter
- Portrayed by Melissa Barrera
- Appeared in: Scream, and Scream VI
- Status: Alive
The sixth movie reveals that Sam and Tara are no longer in contact with their mother, after Sam was disowned for revealing the truth about her parentage to Tara, and Tara subsequently disowned their mother as a result. Sam also followed Tara to New York City out of fear for her safety, and the two move in with Quinn Bailey while Sam takes up a number of jobs to support them financially. She is also publicly ostracized following a string of conspiracy theories framing her for the Woodsboro murders, attends therapy frequently with Dr. Stone, and enters a secret relationship with her neighbor Danny Brackett. When Ghostface returns and murders a pair of students, Sam's driver's license was found at the scene, but her appointment with her therapist gives her an unbeatable alibi. She is asked to come with Tara to the police station, but the two are attacked by Ghostface in a bodega. They team up with FBI agent Kirby Reed and are taken to an abandoned theater, transformed into a shrine for Ghostface killers. After Gale is attacked by Ghostface, Sam, Tara, Kirby and Chad decide to use the shrine to lure Ghostface into a trap. While there, Sam begins to reexperience hallucinations of Billy Loomis, who warns her to not trust anybody. Unfortunately, the group is locked inside, and Kirby and Chad are attacked by the Ghostfaces, who reveal themselves to be Wayne Bailey and his children, Ethan Landry and Quinn, who faked her death earlier and was the one who started the conspiracy theories to ruin Sam's image. They reveal themselves to be Richie's surviving family and intend to frame Sam and Tara for the murders. After they start fighting, Sam and Tara are able to gain the upper hand as they kill Quinn and subdue Ethan respectively. Sam uses the voice changer to mock Wayne before ambushing him in a Ghostface costume and finally kills him. After Kirby kills Ethan, they all receive medical treatment and Kirby advises Sam to call her anytime, as Sam agrees to let Tara live independently and stares at her father's mask before discarding it on the street and leaving the scene with Tara.
Tara Carpenter
- Portrayed by Jenna Ortega
- Appeared in: Scream, and Scream VI
- Status: Alive
Following the events of the fifth installment, Tara enrolls at Blackmore University and moves to New York City with Sam, who helicopters her much to Tara's annoyance. She is also revealed to have cut off her mother in support of Sam after she was cut off for revealing the truth about her paternity to Tara. Following a party that resulted in Sam tasing a student in the testicles for attempting to take advantage of Tara, Tara lashes out at Sam and pleads for her independence. Shortly after, she is taken care of by Chad, and the two almost kiss before being interrupted by Tara's roommate Quinn. When Sam and Tara head to the police station for some questioning about Ghostface's return, the two are attacked by the masked killer and escape into a bodega. Kirby Reed, a former Ghostface survivor and an FBI agent, arrives and agrees to help them stop Ghostface. Following another attack at their apartment that results in Quinn having her throat slit, the group uses an abandoned theater to lure Ghostface into a trap and stop him. While waiting, Chad kisses Tara, who reciprocates, though the two are attacked by Ghostface afterwards. Tara is able to escape, but witnesses Chad being stabbed repeatedly, devastating her. Sam and Tara are confronted by Wayne Bailey, Ethan Landry and a still-alive Quinn, who reveal themselves as the Ghostfaces. The two sisters are attacked but are soon able to gain the upper hand, which results in Tara stabbing Ethan in the mouth. Following the ordeal, Tara receives medical treatment for her wounds and expresses sadness over Chad's apparent death. Luckily, Chad is wheeled out of the theater, having survived the attack, much to Tara's relief, and they kiss once more before he is taken to the hospital. After Sam states she will let Tara be more independent, Tara says she will to go to therapy to seek help and walks off with her sister into the city.
Richie Kirsch
- Portrayed by Jack Quaid
- Appeared in: Scream, and Scream VI
- Status: Deceased
In Scream VI, he is seen again in footage of his Stab fan film saved by his father Wayne and siblings Quinn and Ethan, who collectively elect to avenge his death as Ghostface, to which Sam taunts them over most of Richie's "victims" having survived their wounds, with the majority to have died having been killed by Amber, and for Richie having exposed himself to be a helpless coward before she killed him.
Amber Freeman
- Portrayed by Mikey Madison
- Appeared in: Scream, and Scream VI
- Status: Deceased
In Scream VI, Amber is revealed to have committed the majority of the murders in Scream, with all but one of Richie's attempts at killing having failed.
Mindy Meeks-Martin
- Portrayed by Jasmin Savoy Brown
- Appears in Scream, Scream VI, and Scream 7
- Status: Alive
The sixth movie details the group's lives in New York City, where Mindy has enrolled at Blackmore University and is in a relationship with Anika Kayoko. Upon Ghostface's return, Mindy shares her theories that they are in a "sequel to the requel", and states that nobody is safe from Ghostface. Shortly after, the group is attacked by Ghostface, and Anika is killed, leaving Mindy devastated. The group team up with Kirby Reed and decide to lure Ghostface to a trap at an abandoned movie theater turned shrine for the infamous killer. However, while on the way there, Mindy is stabbed by Ghostface and receives medical treatment. When the ordeal is finished, Mindy has realized who the killers are, and goes to warn the others, though is annoyed to find they have been stopped and she once again missed the monologue. Mindy instead returns to the hospital to continue receiving care for her wounds.
Chad Meeks-Martin
- Portrayed by Mason Gooding
- Appears in Scream, Scream VI, and Scream 7
- Status: Alive
In the sixth movie, Chad is revealed to have moved to New York City along with Sam, Tara, and Mindy, and enrolls in Blackmore University and has Ethan Landry as his roommate. He and Tara are also revealed to have a mutual crush on one another, as he tends to her following a party and the two almost kiss before being interrupted by Tara's roommate Quinn. When the group is attacked by Ghostface, Chad and Tara are able to escape, and Mindy and Sam also survive the attack. The group then decides to create a trap in an abandoned movie theater to lure Ghostface in. While waiting, Chad and Tara finally kiss, but Chad is stabbed and left for dead by a duo of Ghostfaces. Following the ordeal, Chad is revealed to have survived and Tara kisses him once more before he is taken to the hospital.
Liv McKenzie
- Portrayed by Sonia Ben Ammar
- Appeared in: Scream
- Status: Deceased
Wes Hicks
- Portrayed by Dylan Minnette
- Appears in Scream
- Status: Deceased
Vince Schneider
- Portrayed by Kyle Gallner
- Appeared in: Scream
- Status: Deceased
Introduced in ''Scream VI''
Anika Kayoko
- Portrayed by Devyn Nekoda
- Appears in Scream VI
- Status: Deceased
Dr. Christopher Stone
- Portrayed by Henry Czerny
- Appears in Scream VI
- Status: Deceased
Danny Brackett
- Portrayed by Josh Segarra
- Appears in Scream VI
- Status: Alive
Ethan Landry
- Portrayed by Jack Champion
- Appears in Scream VI
- Status: Deceased
Jason Carvey and Greg Bruckner
- Portrayed by Tony Revolori and Thom Newell
- Appears in Scream VI
- Status: Both deceased
Laura Crane
- Portrayed by Samara Weaving
- Appears in Scream VI
- Status: Deceased
Quinn Bailey
- Portrayed by Liana Liberato
- Appears in Scream VI
- Status: Deceased
Wayne Bailey
- Portrayed by Dermot Mulroney
- Appears in Scream VI
- Status: Deceased
Wayne is shown visibly upset after his daughter has been murdered, following an attack at Sam and Tara's apartment and reveals he has been removed from the case. He then teams with Sam to help kill whoever is behind the Ghostface mask, as revenge for his murdered daughter. During the finale, Wayne contacts Sam and reveals that Kirby had been previously fired from the FBI due to delusions regarding her previous attack and that she has trapped them in the Ghostface shrine. Once he arrives at the shrine, he shoots Kirby and reveals himself as the mastermind behind the Ghostface killings, with his son Ethan and daughter, a still alive Quinn, who he helped fake her death. Wayne reveals that Richie Kirsch was his eldest son and he, along with Ethan and Quinn, seeks revenge against Sam for killing him, while it is also revealed he supported Richie's obsessions to the Ghostface killings and movies despite not liking them himself. Wayne's schemes for revenge fail as Sam and Tara get the upper hand, with Wayne losing his composure as Sam and Tara take down his two children. Sam then turns the Ghostface trick on Wayne by taunting him with a phone call using the voice changer and violently stabbing Wayne multiple times while dressed in her father's Ghostface mask and costume, all while Wayne exposes himself to be a helpless coward like Richie. Sam then states that she is better than her father and other killers no matter what Wayne thinks, and Wayne believes that Sam will not kill him and thanks her, only for Sam to kill Wayne by stabbing him through the eye, stating that he "did fuck with her family".
Reception
praised the role of Sidney Prescott, saying she "adored" the character and "she's a fantastic character for any kind of movie." In 1997, the Scream role won Campbell the Saturn Award for Best Actress and an MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance nomination. The following year she went on to win the 1998 Best Female Performance for Scream 2 and received a second nomination for the Saturn Award for Best Actress, losing to Jodie Foster for Contact. 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.Barrymore and Ulrich also received Saturn Award nominations in 1997 for Scream, for Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor respectively. 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".
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 sure to be innocent."
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". Varietys Leonard Klady was more appreciative of some of the new cast, calling Laurie Metcalf and Liev Schreiber "standout" talent. Cox received a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role in Scream 2, but lost to Gloria Stuart for Titanic.
On the characters of Scream 3, Roger Ebert was critical, stating " 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". 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." Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News was less complimentary about Campbell, saying "She adds ZERO coolness. Zero talent. And Zero charisma to ." The BBC's Tom Coates and Elvis Mitchell of the New York Times praised Parker Posey's character, with Mitchell saying " alone makes the picture worth seeing. Dizzy and nakedly – hilariously – ambitious, she's so flighty she seems to be levitating." 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. Mitchell also praised the characters of Sarah Darling, Tyson Fox and Steven Stone, 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.
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, while the Los Angeles Times called Panettiere's film-nerd Kirby Reed "feisty", labeling her the most "intriguing" new addition to the series.
The first season of Scream has received a 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." 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".
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." 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. Aedan Juvet of PopWrapped gave a positive assessment of the series and called it, "a prime example of a game-changing horror series." 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. 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."