Summary

• Scream 7's time jump may ruin Sidney's return and worsen the absence of Sam and Tara.
• Mindy and Chad are the only new characters left after Sam and Tara's exit, but a time jump would leave them behind.
• Setting up a new trilogy in the Scream franchise seems unnecessary and risky.

A new rumor about the plot of The Scream franchise seized the current trend of reboots and legacy sequels in the horror genre to make a comeback, and it started on the right foot with Scream (2022). The fifth Scream movie brought the main characters of the first four movies back – Sidney, Gale (Courteney Cox), and Dewey (David Arquette) – and introduced a new generation of characters.

Sisters Sam and Tara Carpenter became Scream’s new Final Girls and led Scream 6 alongside their friends and fellow Ghostface survivors Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding). Unfortunately, Sam and Tara won’t return to finish Scream’s reboot trilogy as Melissa Barrera was fired from Scream 7 and Jenna Ortega dropped out. After director Christopher Landon also left the project, Scream 7 is back on track with Kevin Williamson as director and Campbell back as Sidney, but it all points to her return being ruined by a time jump that will also make Sam and Tara’s absence worse.

Scream 7’s Rumored Time Jump Makes Sidney’s Return Even Worse

Scream 7’s Time Jump Is Bad News For Sidney & Her Family

Sidney’s return in Scream 7, while exciting after her absence in Scream 6, wasn’t exactly good as she was already given her happy ending.

Sidney Prescott is Scream’s main Final Girl, having confronted almost every Ghostface in the saga’s history. Sidney was the main target in the first Woodsboro murders and continued to be up until the reboot trilogy. As mentioned above, Sidney returned in Scream 2022, but she wasn’t the killers’ target, who were, instead, going after Sam. Campbell didn’t return in Scream 6 due to salary disputes, but the movie still gave her the closure she needed. In Scream 2022, it was revealed Sidney is now married and has children, and Scream 6 confirmed her husband is Mark Kincaid (Patrick Dempsey) from Scream 3.

During the events of Scream 6, Sidney, Mark, and their kids went to someplace safe, with Gale and Sam agreeing she deserved to be happy. Sidney’s peace will now be disturbed in Scream 7, and though official plot details remain unknown, a new rumor suggests it will include a time jump. According to the new Ghostfcae targeting Sidney’s family.

Sidney’s return in Scream 7, while exciting after her absence in Scream 6, wasn’t exactly good as she was already given her happy ending, which she deserved after years of being tormented. If the time jump to include Sidney and Mark’s children in the story is true, it only makes her return even worse, as she’s not the only one at risk, but also Mark and their kids, and looking at the saga’s track record, not all of them might make it out alive.

Scream 7’s Time Jump Ignores The Reboot’s Best New Characters After Barrera & Ortega’s Exit

Only Mindy & Chad Are Left After Sam & Tara’s Departure

Mindy and Chad are the only ones from the new generation who remain and who could return to close their stories, but that doesn’t seem possible with the time jump.

The time jump rumor only mentions Sidney and her kids, but if they are the reason for it, it’s also bad news for the remaining characters from the new generation. With Sam and Tara gone, Mindy and Chad are the only ones from the new generation who remain and who could return to close their stories, but that doesn’t seem possible with the time jump. Without Sam and Tara, and with Gale and Kirby’s return unknown, Mindy and Chad were the last links to the first Scream movies, as they’re the niece and nephew of Randy, Sidney’s friend.

The time jump and a focus on Sidney and her kids points to Scream 7 leaving Mindy and Chad behind, thus not giving closure to their stories and place in the reboot trilogy. Mindy and Chad were also the best chance for Sam and Tara to get closure, as they are the characters closest to them, so that also just got trickier. While Mindy and Chad could still have a place after the time jump in Scream 7, it would feel off.

The Scream Franchise Doesn’t Need Another Trilogy

The Scream Reboot Trilogy Didn’t Go As Hoped

A new Scream trilogy now focused on Sidney’s children would make the above-mentioned Sidney problem even worse, as now her kids will have to carry her legacy and trauma.

Scream 7 including a time jump isn’t the only rumor, as the movie is also said to be marking the start of a new trilogy. Of course, details about a potential second reboot trilogy in the Scream saga are unknown, but taking the reason for the time jump into , it might be to set Sidney’s kids up as the next leads. A new Scream trilogy now focused on Sidney’s children would make the above-mentioned Sidney problem even worse, as now her kids will have to carry her legacy and trauma and fight for their lives as their mother did for years.

There’s also the fact that a new Scream trilogy seems unnecessary after the whole mess Scream 7 has already gone through. The saga wasn’t even able to finish this reboot trilogy properly, and it’s to be seen how Scream 7 is received, so it’s strange and risky that the studio intends to set up another trilogy with Scream 7. Scream 7 has many challenges to overcome, and it’s to be seen if it will be able to succeed despite all the issues it has gone through.

Source: Daniel Richtman (via CBR).