Scream 7 star Mason Gooding teases an especially “brutal” Ghostface this time around. Original franchise star Neve Campbell is back as Sidney Prescott alongside Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers in the upcoming Scream film from director Kevin Williamson. Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown are also back as Chad and Mindy, respectively, with Stu Macher actor Matthew Lillard set to make a surprise return as well. No Scream 7 story synopsis has been revealed just yet, but the movie, which started filming last month, is set to feature a new Ghostface terrorizing more victims.

In a recent interview with Variety at the premiere of Heart Eyes, his new slasher film, Gooding comments on the new Ghostface in Scream 7, revealing that nothing is held back with the killer this time around. The actor says that the movie is “gross, but in a good way” and hypes the gnarly kills, one of which included a unique prosthetic. Check out Gooding’s comment below:

It feels like an amplification of what’s came before, and there’s no better indication of that than Kevin Williamson, who wrote the original, coming back now to direct. I think that Ghostface is absolutely the most brutal he’s been. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there’s some stuff that they do to the human body that I feel like Kevin is breaking new ground with.

There was a prosthetic that sat in the makeup trailer that actually turned my stomach over. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you see it, but it’s incredible stuff. They really have an incredible effects team over there and they’re working overtime.

Gooding also addressed what it was like to work with original franchise star Campbell after the two didn’t get to interact much during the production of 2022’s Scream:

“I get to work with Neve [in ‘Scream 7’], who I didn’t get a great opportunity to see and talk to on a personal level [on ‘Scream 5’]. So in this case, even just getting to be around her feels like I’m getting part of that history and I feel better for it.”

What Gooding’s Tease Means For Scream 7

Will It Change The Movie’s Tone?

The reviews for Scream 6 were positive in 2023, with praise aimed at the film’s scares and gnarly kills. Ghostface was particularly cruel in this installment, dishing out violence with an array of weapons, and the gore included in the film was fairly graphic in several cases. Gooding’s comment suggests that whatever comes next will be building on Scream 6, doubling down on this sense of brutality and getting into some more elaborate kills.

Past Scream movies have walked a fine line between horror and humor, and the kills are often surprising but not usually disturbing. The tone of the franchise is one that usually prioritizes a sense of fun beneath the horrors on-screen, and it will be interesting to see how Williamson does this while upping the violence and gore. Since Williamson wrote the first two Scream movies and the fourth, it would seem that the franchise is in good hands.

Our Take On A More Brutal Ghostface In Scream 7

The Next Scream Movie Isn’t Holding Back

Scream 7, from what’s been shared thus far, seems to be pulling out all the stops. Though Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega not returning as the Carpenter sisters is undoubtedly a blow to the film, the inclusion of so much original talent, including Lillard, could certainly help it succeed. By placing a renewed emphasis on delivering shocking, bloody kills alongside the impressive Scream 7 cast, the new film is shaping up to be an interesting mix of the old and the new.

This many years and movies into the franchise, it will be a challenge to maintain what worked in previous installments while pushing things forward. It remains to be seen whether Scream 7 will be able to strike this balance, but it evidently has some key ingredients for success.

Source: Variety