It’s a great time to be a horror fan, with some of the best horror movies returning to theaters due to the genre’s continued renaissance. That includes Wes Craven’s Scream, with new sequels like Scream VI breaking records at the box office. While fans are getting hyped for the upcoming horror movie Scream 7, the franchise suddenly feels very real. Namely because a Pennsylvania man has been accused of donning Ghostface’s mask and killing his neighbor.
What we know about Scream 7 is limited, but fans are watching what looks like evens from the slasher happen IRL. A sobering report by EW revealed that the Pennsylvania state police have arrested a suspect named Zak Russel Moyer for the alleged murder of his neighbor Edward Whitehead Jr while wearing a Ghostface mask.
Per this report, Whitehead was “was struck multiple times with a knife and a battery-operated chainsaw”, which resulted in his death. The authorities claimed that this wasn’t a random attack, but that the victim and killer knew each other. At the time of writing this story, suspect Moyer is being held at the Carbon County Correctional Facility, and is awaiting a preliminary hearing on April 3rd. We’ll just have to see how this shakes out, and if things move forward are scheduled.
Per EW, there has been no response from Spyglass Media Group, which produce the Scream franchise. The fact that a Ghostface murder reportedly happened is definitely concerning, especially as the slasher property is moving full speed ahead with another bloody sequel.
This arrest is just the latest update concerning Scream 7, which has already had a bumpy road to theaters. There have been a number of setbacks for the upcoming slasher, including losing director Christopher Landon, as well as stars Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega departing.
Luckily, it hasn’t all been bad news, as development for the next Scream has continued on. Fans were thrilled when Neve Campbell revealed she’s returning as Sidney Prescott, especially after she left Scream VI over a pay dispute. What’s more, OG Scream writer and producer Kevin Williamson is stepping behind the camera to direct his first installment of the beloved slasher property. We’ll just have to wait and see what other Scream legacy characters return. I for one am hoping that Patrick Dempsey returns as Mark Kincaid for the first time since Scream 3.
Still, the real-life Ghostface murder is casting a shadow over the franchise, and only time will tell how the legal situation shakes out in Pennsylvania. The slasher property has been accused of inspiring violence before, so this is a strangely full circle moment. We’ll have to see if anyone from the studio responds in any way.
It’s currently unclear when Scream 7 will hit theaters. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates.