Scream star thinks the horror franchise has gotten ‘too violent’

The Scream franchise has proven to beryllium 1 of nan scary genre’s astir enduring properties. In nan astir 30 years since it began, nan bid has produced six films and a spin-off TV show that lasted 3 seasons connected MTV. Across its various sequels and spin-offs, nan franchise hasn’t deviated each that overmuch from its original look of meta jokes, third-act twists, and gruesome kills, either. It has alternatively tried to consistently elevate nan stakes of its stories and nan unit of its group pieces.

One of nan franchise’s original stars, however, seems to deliberation that it went a small excessively acold successful its astir caller outing. Stu Macher character Matthew Lillard said arsenic overmuch successful an question and reply pinch GamesRadar, successful which he shared his sentiment connected nan franchise’s recent, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett-directed sequels (2022’s Scream and 2023’s Scream VI) and nan news that Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson will beryllium returning to nonstop nan franchise’s forthcoming seventh movie installment.

“I deliberation it’s successful a bully place. I deliberation that [the movie being] backmost successful nan hands of Kevin Williamson is great. I emotion what [Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin] were doing before. Nothing against them,” Lillard told nan outlet. “I thought nan movie sewage excessively violent. I deliberation [Scream VI] was, like… I don’t deliberation Ghostface ever needs a shotgun.”

Dimension Films

Lillard is, of course, referring to nan infinitesimal successful Scream VI erstwhile 1 of nan film’s Ghostface killers hunts sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) successful a New York City bodega pinch a shotgun. The segment successful mobility has remained a controversial constituent of debate among nan franchise’s fans ever since it was featured successful 1 of nan first trailers for Scream VI. Lillard, successful different words, isn’t unsocial successful his dislike of nan franchise’s caller deviation from Ghostface’s usual, knife-wielding ways, though some 2022’s Scream and 2023’s Scream VI received largely affirmative reviews from some casual viewers and critics alike erstwhile they were released.

In nan aforesaid question and reply pinch GamesRadar, Lillard went connected to definitive immoderate dream for nan franchise’s early and, specifically, Williamson’s expertise to reinvent nan franchise that he helped create. “I deliberation that nan movies are – everything is trying to repetition what we did successful nan first movie successful a batch of ways. Like, a maniacal speech astatine nan end. It’s really difficult to do,” Lillard noted. “I dream that Kevin takes it successful a marque new, brave, and breathtaking direction.”

Scream 7 is presently group to deed theaters connected February 27, 2026.