Actress, and one of Scream 6‘s newest stars, Melissa Barrera has officially made the top of our list for a celebrity tea party — the amount she spills is never too much, but just enough. Barrera recently sat down to discuss her upcoming projects, and naturally, the Scream franchise had to crop up since she and Jenna Ortega have taken the helm of Paramount’s latest additions as sisters Sam and Tara Carpenter, respectively. When asked about the amount of time that had passed since Scream 5 within Ghostface’s universe, Barrera was straightforward with fans.
Recently, Collider’s own Perri Nemiroff sat down with the actress at Toronto’s International Film Festival to talk with her about her starring role in Carmen. While there, we inquired about how the scene change from Woodsboro to NYC affected the new generation of Ghostface’s latest victims. Barrera gave enthusiastic insight into the switch from a small-town slaughter to big city stalking, most notably suggesting the next film will be “…20 times more mortifying.” Now, when asked about the sixth installment’s place on the Scream timeline, Barrera was once again happy to share with the franchise’s sleuthing fans, which she described as “the smartest fandom.”
During an interview with Deadline, right off the bat, Barrera was asked, specifically, if Scream 6 is set after a long period of time has passed since the ending of the fifth film, which saw both sisters survive the brutal attacks of Ghostface. Without hesitation, she responded, “No, it’s not at all. It’s like almost directly after the last one. Basically, the amount of time that has passed between one movie and the other is the amount of time that has passed in, you know, Scream time.” According to this information, and with Scream 5 taking place in late September of 2021, that would put Scream 6 sometime around November, give or take if we’re going from premiere date to premiere date. Does this mean our survivors have gone off to college in NYC, perhaps?
In Paramount’s 2022 reboot, Scream fans were introduced to a new cast of victims and villains. Taking place in Woodsboro 25 years after the initial Ghostface emergence propelled Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) to ’90s final girl stardom in Wes Craven‘s masterpiece, we met some of the town’s legacy. The young cast was on brand with the franchise’s meta thread that gives the movies their own unique quality within the genre, self-aware of their place as the Main Cast’s offshoots and their reboot status. While fans were thrilled to return to the macabre world, it didn’t come without paying a heavy price. After four prior films, Ghostface finally managed to off Dewey Riley (David Arquette), prompting Sidney’s reluctant return.
The ensemble cast introduces Barrera as the older sister to Ortega’s Tara, and both will be returning to fight another day. Those also returning for the sixth movie are Courtney Cox as the death-defying Gale Weathers, and Randy Meeks’ (Jamie Kennedy) niece and nephew played by Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding. Additionally, the saga will welcome Samara Weaving, Liana Liberato, Dermot Mulroney, Jack Champion, Henry Czerny, Tony Revolori, Josh Segarra, and Devyn Nekoda to the twisted family. We’re also all very excited to also be welcoming back Hayden Panettiere who will reprise her role as Kirby Reed from 2011’s Scream 4.
Scream 5 and 6 are directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, reuniting them with Weaving from their film Ready or Not. Both Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt returned from 5 to pen the screenplay, with Kevin Williamson, writer of the original first three films, serving as executive producer.
Scream 6 is set for theatrical release on March 31, 2023. In the meantime, check out Collider’s interview with the stars of Scream 5, Barrera, Campbell, and Cox: