The setting of Scream 2022 was seen as a solid addition to the series by both critics and viewers (and proved a blockbuster success as a result), Scream 6 will be the first Scream movie not to feature Neve Campbell's iconic Final Girl Sidney Prescott.
Scream 6 isn't the first in the series to take place in a big city. Scream 3 was located in Los Angeles, at the center of Hollywood, with the backstory of Sidney's mom Maureen Roberts. Of course, Los Angeles and New York City are very different cities, but Ghostface was able to rack up the biggest body count the franchise had seen at that point. And he didn't have a partner. The new Scream 6 risks insulting Sidney's legacy by continuing the story of the series without its original heroine, the first teaser trailer for the sequel proves that the movie will be able to keep another Scream tradition alive.
Being In NYC Will Make It Easier For Ghostface To Kill In Scream 6
New York City has a massive, densely packed population and is an infamously busy urban center. As the Scream 6 trailer proves, Ghostface can take full advantage of both facts by hiding in crowds and utilizing public transportation. Scream 6's returning heroine, Hayden Panettiere's Kirby, is one of the few franchise veterans who faced off against Ghostface and lived to tell the tale, but even she only encountered the villain in a small town where the number of potential suspects was limited. As a result, the killer's ability to disappear into a busy mass of people was effectively non-existent.
Things won't be easy in Scream 6, where it could be more challenging for the characters to get away (if they rely on public transportation), and Ghostface will be more likely to come across more bystanders they could easily kill if they get in their way. Ghostface was already an opportunistic spree killer in most of the character's movie incarnations. The slasher villain's willingness to improvise has led them to kill many victims simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Scream franchise can now double down on this approach, with Ghostface using their relocation to New York as an excuse to paint the town red. Scream 6 could easily boast one of the biggest body counts in the series now that the movie's action has been moved from the sleepy small town of Woodsboro.
Why Scream 6 Could Have A High Kill Count
For numerous reasons, Scream 6 could have a higher body count than earlier entries into the franchise. As outlined above, the killer will have more opportunities to strike than ever before and will be harder to hunt down. Furthermore, Scream 6 needs to compensate for Sidney's absence, which will mean winning over fans of the franchise all over again. While some faithful viewers have already refused to give the sequel a chance, those who are on the fence may be wooed by the promise of more gore than ever before. Finally, Campbell's departure ruins another Scream legacy cameo, Matthew Lillard’s Stu Macher, so the Scream series will need to work hard to win back viewers with a nastier, bloodier Scream 6.
