The horror genre continues to experience a thrilling renaissance, to the joy of moviegoers out there. 2023 started off strong with M3GAN, but one of the most hotly anticipated upcoming horror movies has definitely been Scream VI. Luckily that slasher is nearly here, with fans hoping to avoid potential spoilers online. And while the sixth Scream won’t have David Arquette’s Dewey, it looks like he’ll be honored in the new slasher.
Scream VI is seemingly making a number of bold narrative swings, moving the action from Woodsboro to New York City. The movie also won’t feature Neve Campbell or David Arquette, with the latter actor killed off in the last sequel. One of the newcomers joining the franchise is actor Dermot Mulroney, who is playing Detective Bailey. He recently spoke to Parade about his mysterious role in Scream VI, and name dropped Arquette specifically. As he shared,
The thing that I liked best about being a policeman in Scream VI is that I could follow in the footsteps of the great David Arquette playing Dewey for so many beloved films of the franchise. To be genuine, it’s a great legacy to continue playing a cop in the Scream series. I was thrilled to be added to this franchise at this time, especially when the movies are taking a turn for the gorier, more thrilling action, and more intense emotional connections between the characters.
How sweet is that? It looks like Dermot Mulroney felt the legacy of the Scream franchise when stepping into the mysterious sixth movie. And playing a police officer definitely had him thinking about David Arquette’s five-film tenure as Dewey Riley. Although he technically was no longer a cop in the last movie.
Dermot Mulroney’s comments might help Scream fans who are still adjusting to the idea of seeing the sixth movie without the inclusion of Neve Campbell and David Arquette. It sounds like Mulroney felt the responsibility of taking on the mantle of the franchise’s next police officer. And it’ll be fascinating to see the ways that Dewey is referenced throughout Scream VI. Considering the new Ghostface killer(s) has a shrine to the previous murders, smart money says there will be plenty.
Later in that same interview, Dermot Mulroney explained why he was so eager to join the beloved franchise for Scream VI. And it seems like the contents of 2022’s Scream helped to inspire him, specifically the new cast of actors. As he put it,
Scream V wasn’t just a redo or a rehash or a reboot, it really changed the game. When I got this part, I watched all five of the films, and I recognized that Scream V really changed the game, especially the diversification in the cast. If you compare Scream to anything across the board, we’ve got them hands down on who the four leads are being played by. So, I was also joining a cast that had that appeal for me.
There you have it. It looks like Dermot Mulroney was all too happy to join Scream VI, especially given the chance to work with the new leading actors. Indeed, the upcoming slasher is expected to focus on the two surviving sets of siblings from the fifth movie. Namely Sam and Tara Carpenter (Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega) and Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding). It sounds like that quartet really managed to impress Mulroney during their time on set.
Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
Writer: James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick
Cast: Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courteney Cox, Hayden Panettiere, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Dermot Mulroney.
Release Date/Platform: March 10th in theaters.
These comments by Dermot Mulroney may help to quell the fears of longtime fans who might be nervous about the sixth movie missing out on 2 of the 3 OG franchise heroes. While Dewey was killed off, franchise star Neve Campbell dropped out of Scream VI due to a pay dispute. It’s hard to imagine a Scream movie without Sidney Prescott, but Mulroney seems to be a big fan of the four actors who are getting their sophomore appearance in the sixth film.
Of course, there is another legacy character that fans are excited to return in Scream VI. Namely Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby Reed, who is back for the first time since the events of Wes Craven’s Scream 4. Her long-theorized survival was confirmed in an easter egg in the last movie, and it’ll be thrilling to see the fan-favorite character back… even if there are some memes going around online about her wig.
Scream VI will hit theaters on March 10th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
