Scream Star Reveals Time Jump Between Fifth and Sixth Movies

The fifth Scream movie, simply titled Scream, hit theatres earlier this year, marking the first of the franchise since Scream 4 was released back in 2011. The latest installment was a hit, so it did not take long for a sixth movie to be announced. The next film is set to feature most of the fifth movie's survivors as well as longtime franchise star, Courteney Cox. Melissa Barrera, who starred as Samantha Carpenter in the fifth installment, recently spoke to the 20 Questions On Deadline podcast (via ScreenRant) and revealed when the sixth movie takes place.

"No, it's not [a big time jump] at all. It's 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 Scream time," Barrera explained. The new movie is also leaving Woodsboro and heading to New York, which Barrera recently called a "more mortifying" setting.

"It's, like 20 times more mortifying. It's awful," Barrera shared with Collider when asked about the new location for the franchise. "Because you also see how, in a city like New York City, everyone is kind of doing their own thing and someone is screaming for help, and no one will come to their help. No one comes to help them, you know, like, everyone's kind of like, 'I'm not getting into that.' So it's mortifying, because you're chased by Ghostface, but you also see humanity and how that reacts in a situation like that. Anyway, I think I've already probably said too much."

Sadly, Neve Campbell will not be returning as Sidney Prescott for Scream 6 due to a pay disagreement. This will mark the first movie of the franchise that will not include Campbell. Barrera spoke to Variety in August and commented on Campbell's choice not to return. 

"It was shocking, but also, as a woman, I get it," Barrera explained. "Especially as a woman of color, I deal with that stuff all the time where I feel like they're not paying me what I know that I'm worth. But usually, for me, I feel like it's because I'm a Latina, and they don't value us as much as white women. So if Neve being a white woman is feeling undervalued, that just goes to show how much of a problem it is in the industry. I applaud her sticking to what she believes in."

Scream 6 is slated to hit theaters on March 31, 2023.