The oversimplified concept of a whodunit slasher flick like Scream is simple: people live, people die—just like some early call sheets for the first movie bluntly described its third act. It was even a line in Scream 4. But what happens when a character who truly resonated with the audience is brutally removed from the cinematic universe?
Some fans refuse to let go. For decades. And now, on the verge of a fifth installment, they riot on Twitter, demanding a comeback.
But Kevin Williamson, the screenwriter of chapters one, two, and four—now returning as a producer for Scream (2022)—has been clear about where he stands on the matter:
“People are like, ‘Well, are they really dead? Do they have to be dead?’ I think after the sequel, after Scream 2, I remember people took [Randy’s death] very hard because, at the time, that was a beloved character, which, to me, is what keeps the franchise moving—it’s real. If you kill someone you really love, it makes it personal for people. I remember people going, ‘He’s not really dead, is he? He’s not really dead. He survived, didn’t he?’”
That, however, contradicts some of the late Wes Craven’s tweets about the fate of another fan favorite—Scream 4’s Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere). Back in 2011, Craven playfully teased the possibility of her survival, a theory that gained traction over the years. If Scream 4 had been a bigger box office success and fast-tracked a sequel, it’s possible Kirby could have returned.
Today, reasonability must prevail, and it’s time to ask the tough questions:
🔪 Does it really make sense to dedicate screen time explaining how a character miraculously survived, just because they had great hair and a killer fashion sense?
🔪 If they return, what do they truly add to the story that new characters can’t?
🔪 What elevates these characters to the same level of Sidney, Gale, and Dewey—whose fates are undeniably pivotal?
Considering the weight of these questions and the firm stance of the man who wrote their deaths, it seems Kirby and Randy now reside in the great fictional beyond. Heaven… or hell. Anything beyond that? Pure fan theory.
“That, really, I get the most,” Williamson admits.
On October 28, Airbnb is hosting exclusive Halloween events, including a night inside the original Scream house and a live online conversation with Williamson himself. Tickets go on sale October 12 at 1PM EDT.
“Secrets of Scream with Kevin Williamson” will take fans behind the scenes of the original film and offer little-known insights into the making of Scream (2022)—which is set to release on January 14, 2022.
🔗 Read also: [Memoirs from the Set of Scream]
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