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Movie Review: ‘Scream VI’
Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’

Hacking its way into theaters on March 10th, ‘Scream VI’ represents the latest attempt to mine the sprawling serial slasher movie series.

How far is too far with franchise sequels? It’s something that was on the mind of 2022’s confusingly titled ‘Scream’, which looked to start a new chapter of the veteran horror franchise while, as is usual with these movies, grappling with the legacy of both the established storyline and the genre itself.

Directed by ‘Ready or Not’ duo Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, it was a savvy, sometimes scary success, though not the best entry in the franchise even given the ways it played with the concept. But its box office bonanza ($137 million worldwide from a $24 million budget) means the pair, alongside writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, are back for a second stab at Ghostface killings.
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What’s the story of ‘Scream VI’?

Picking up the story roughly one year since the events of last year’s ‘Scream’ “rebootquel”, which charted a new story around characters such as Jenna Ortega’s Tara Carpenter, Melissa Barrera’s Sam Carpenter and twins Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding), all of whom had links to either killers or victims from earlier movies.

Having survived the seemingly traditional slayings in their home of Woodsboro, California, the foursome have moved to New York City, where Tara, Chad and Mindy are attending college. They’re trying to put the past behind them –– especially Tara, who just wants to have fun with booze and boys –– but Sam is still haunted by the last round of killings and her actions. She’s even in therapy working through her feelings.

And she has extra reason to be concerned, as someone online is spreading the conspiracy theory that Sam actually framed the real killers, one that is taking root among the city’s citizens (witness an early encounter where someone throws a drink in her face and calls her a murderer).

You can imagine their shared horror, then, when the legacy of Ghostface appears to follow them to the big city, first via a pair of fellow college students and then in ways they truly did not predict. Fandom for the ‘Stab’ movies plays a big part in the new movie, as does legacy.

Which means that our heroes once more afraid for their lives again, Mindy outlining the rules of continuing franchises in true ‘Scream’ fashion and starting to suspect that the people around them could all be suspects…

(L to R) Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter) and Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’

Related Article: ‘Scream 6’ Adds Samara Weaving and Tony Revolori

What works about ‘Scream VI’?

The cast for this one remain game and relatable, with Ortega and Barrera carrying the emotional load while Brown and Gooding bring the lore and the laughs. Courteney Cox, of course, still knows exactly how to sell Gale’s blend of cynicism and moxie (and her presence offers a little extra tension this time around given that the main characters are annoyed that she’s spun the tragedy of the previous movie into another cash grab book).

Hayden Panettiere returns from ‘Scream 4’ as Kirby Reed, and the team finds an interesting new avenue for her that feels distinct from some other legacy characters. And when the big revelations start to drop, they mostly feel organic.

The location shift from Woodsboro –– which is something that has only happened in a couple of other ‘Scream’ entries –– makes for some impressive new set pieces, including one set at a Bodega (where the owner of course has a shotgun stashed behind the counter) that puts the audience in mind of the raptor/kitchen scene in ‘Jurassic Park,’ a tense chase in an apartment building that features a high drop and a ladder and the main cast crammed into a crowded subway train that is full of people in costumes, including more than one Ghostface.

It also offers a new tone and feeling to the show, the dark streets and towering buildings of the city a fertile hunting ground for whoever is in the masked costume.

Hayden Panettiere (Kirby Reed) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’

Are there problems with ‘Scream VI’?

One huge issue with any modern ‘Scream’ is the burden and bulk of the franchise. There have been six films now and so many different variations of killer (usually killers) that it’s hard to find something fresh for a new iteration. ‘Scream VI’ stretches this a little too thin in a few places, wanting to be so clever with the idea of the films’ legacy that it rolls around into a few dumb, unoriginal concepts.

Some of the new characters, by dint of where they end up, feel less developed, and while the opening scene (featuring someone from ‘Ready or Not’) looks to play on the idea of movie-series-within-the-movie ‘Stab’ as something that people study a little too closely, but is mostly played for cheap scares.

Neve Campbell (“Sidney Prescott”) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream.”

Do you miss Neve Campbell’s Sidney in ‘Scream VI’?

The big issue, and indeed test for the new movie is the absence of Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, who bowed out of appearing in this one because the studio offered her an embarrassingly low payday.

While franchises do survive without core cast members, Sidney’s absence is certainly felt, since she has been the heart of ‘Scream’ since the 1996 original. Yet her removal is not such a wound that the film collapses –– Courteney Cox is still around of course, and while Gale brings a different energy to the movie than Sidney, her link to the past is still welcome.

It’s also an opportunity to open the story up to other legacy characters such as Panettiere’s Reed, who has her own trauma to work through and is used in interesting fashion here.

Overall, ‘Scream VI’ tries a little too hard to squeeze in everything about the franchise, and the seams perhaps show a little more than in the directors’ previous outing. It’s still fun and energetic, though, and should please fans who have stuck with the movies this far.

‘Scream VI’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.

Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’

Other Movies Similar to ‘Srceam VI:’
- ‘Scream‘ (1996)
- ‘Scream 2‘ (1997)
- ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer‘ (1997)
- ‘I Still Know What You Did Last Summer‘ (1998)
- ‘Scream 3‘ (2000)
- ‘Scream 4‘ (2011)
- ‘Scream‘ (2022)
Buy Tickets: ‘Scream VI’ Movie Showtimes

Buy ‘Scream’ Movies on Amazon

‘Scream VI’ is produced by Paramount, Radio Silence, Project X Entertainment, and Spyglass Media Group. It is set to release in theaters on March 10, 2023.
March 10, 2023
Netflix Renews ‘Wednesday’ for Season 2

Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.

‘Wednesday’ is currently still notching a healthy viewership for Netflix.

There was much concern earlier this week when UK newspaper The Independent reported that Netflix might end up losing ‘Wednesday’ to Amazon because of the company’s giant deal to buy MGM.

That gives Prime Video streaming service the rights to show pretty much everything that MGM has produced, and since that includes Addams Family content (the recent animated movies, for example were produced by MGM), it was speculated that ‘Wednesday’ could follow.

But, as Indiewire is now pointing out, the deal for ‘Wednesday’ was struck some time before the sale of MGM was approved, so it’s more than likely that Netflix will be holding on to the show for the foreseeable future, especially since it continues to be one of its most-watched series.

Plus, there’s a mention that Amazon has been willing to explore hosting content that isn’t exclusive to Prime Video, which means that ‘Wednesday’ could continue to find a home on Netflix’s servers for years to come, even if it does one day pack its dark-colored bags and make the move to Prime in later years.

(L to R) Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, and Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo: Vlad Cioplea/Netflix © 2022.

The series, which stars Jenna Ortega as the daughter of Gomez (Luis Guzman) and Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), sees Wednesday headed to Nevermore Academy after being expelled from more regular schools because of her behavior.

There, despite still feeling like an outsider, she’s actually able to make connections with fellow students (on both the friendship and unlikely romantic front), while also confronting a supernatural mystery and her own burgeoning psychic powers.

‘Wednesday’s cast also includes Gwendoline Christie, Riki Lindhome, Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, Percy Hynes White and Moosa Mostafa, and the show debuted on Netflix on November 23rd.

It has since become a huge hit for the streaming service, its second week drawing 5.3 billion views and topping the Nielsen US streaming chart. It has also generated plenty of viral content, especially Tik Toks recreating the character’s dance moves.

Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo: Vlad Cioplea/Netflix © 2022.

While Netflix has yet to renew the show, there are reports that creators/show-runners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar are already scouting locations, with plans in place for Season 2. And it’s not like the streaming service has a history of cancelling popular series it talks up and then abandons. Though the creators of ‘1899’ might have something to say about that. And ‘The Bastard Son and the Devil Himself’. And ‘Warrior Nun’. And…

Look, while Netflix has been winning few friends among creators for clearing the decks of shows it considers unsuccessful despite big fan campaigns to save them, ‘Wednesday’ is in a whole other league. It’s a genuine sensation, up there with the likes of ‘Stranger Things’ for the company. So don’t go worrying that Wednesday’s child will leave you full of woe and leave its streaming home for now.

UPDATE: The streaming service has now officially renewed the show, including a statement from creators Gough and Millar: “It’s been incredible to create a show that has connected with people across the world. Thrilled to continue Wednesday’s tortuous journey into season two. We can’t wait to dive headfirst into another season and explore the kooky spooky world of Nevermore. Just need to make sure Wednesday hasn’t emptied the pool first.”

There is also a video announcement…

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January 6, 2023
TV Review: ‘Wednesday’

Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo: Vlad Cioplea/Netflix © 2022.

Now showing on Netflix, ‘Wednesday’ represents the latest attempt to bring ‘The Addams Family’ to screens, and one that succeeds partly because of its star.

The Addams Family, which originated with Charles Addams’ single-panel cartoons and strips in the 1930s and 1940s, have long since been adapted in different formats, including TV series, a successful pair of movies and animated films.

Now comes ‘Wednesday’, which, rather than featuring the entire family (though they’re there at the start and in a key episode midway through), focuses instead on their eldest child.

Jenna Ortega stars as Wednesday, here presented in traditionally dark clothing and darker moods, more likely to be found studying autopsies that on social media like her classmates.

(L to R) Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams, Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams, and Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams in Netflix’s ‘Wednesday.’

As the show opens, she’s been kicked out of her latest school for punishing the water polo bullies who picked on her brother Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) by releasing piranhas in their pool.

Despairing of finding a place where she might actually fit in, her parents––stylish, vampy Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and squat, smooth Gomez (Luis Guzmán)––sign her up for Nevermore Academy, where they studied.

It’s seemingly perfect for her: a place for outcasts, creatures (such as werewolves and sirens) and those who society considers unusual to flourish with their peers. Yet even here, Wednesday feels like an outsider, initially unwilling to engage with the usual school activities outside of attending class.

Her roommate, Enid (Emma Myers), a werewolf with her own family issues, is perky and friendly, and at first gets on Wednesday’s last nerve. Then there’s Principal Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie), a former classmate of Morticia and Gomez, who still bears a grudge against them for some mysterious reason (it won’t surprise you that this gets explored during the season).

Gwendoline Christie as Larissa Weems in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.

As she tries to make the best of it, slowly forming an unexpected social circle that shifts and warps in relatively traditional young adult fictional ways, Wednesday copes with the help of family aide Thing, a disembodied hand (played, with an effects assist, by Victor Dorobantu) bursting with personality who can say more with the flick of a finger than some can with a monologue.

And Nevermore has its own challenges beyond the usual cliques and classes––there’s a strange creature lurking around and pupils are disappearing and a dark history to the local town that Wednesday’s burgeoning psychic powers will unlock.

Created for TV by ‘Smallville’ veterans Miles Millar and Alfred Gough, this show also boasts the talents of Tim Burton, who would seem to be a natural fit for the ‘Addams’ style (he was actually offered the first movie but passed). And so it proves.

With sparky, entertaining scripts and suitably gothic production design, ‘Wednesday’ proves to be a winner, full of imagination and ideas that put it ahead of the game for its genre.

(L to R) Moosa Mostafa as Eugene Otinger, and Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.

Though Burton is usually found putting his unique stamp on projects, here he resists that urge––it’s not missing entirely, but it’s certainly toned down. Call it just enough to help the show have a specific look.

Yet perhaps the main reason this succeeds the way it does is Ortega, who brings a dark vitality to the role. She completely owns the character, finding new layers (aided by the scripts and the show’s push to explore why she is who she is) to someone that we’ve seen before.

That’s no easy task considering that the cast also boasts Christina Ricci, whose Wednesday in 1991’s ‘The Addams Family’ and 1993’s ‘Addams Family Values’ is still considered the gold standard. Ortega never feels like she’s channelling Ricci, but their Wednesdays are complementary, springing from the same source.

Delivering certain lines as though they’re dripping with poison, and yet finding the humanity too, Ortega’s is an awards-worthy performance and more proof that she’s a rising star to watch.

(L to R) Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams, and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Adams in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.

Outside of Ortega, ‘Game of Thrones’ Christie puts in a solid performance as Weems, who is none too happy to have another Addams at the school. As for the family themselves, Zeta-Jones and Guzmán (whose Gomez is actually closer in design to the original cartoon strips than the movies’) do a lot with the little they’re given––because, after all, the show isn’t called ‘The Addams Family’. It’s fun to see them on screen, and the parents do pop in the episode focused on their past with Nevermore.

Myers’ Enid plays well off of Ortega, bringing extra joy to the screen whenever she graces it, while enthusiastic early friend Eugene (Moosa Mostafa) is also a fun addition.

Plus, while the character is usually a throwaway gag in scenes, Thing here has more of a part to play, serving as a confidante for Wednesday, while also sending intel back to the family. He’s brought to life in such a way as to totally seem real––he’s practically a magic trick, which makes sense since hand-actor Dorobantu is a magician in real life.

And, while he shows up later in the show, Uncle Fester (Fred Armisen) is also entertaining, though sometimes perhaps too much of Armisen creeps through at times.

Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo: Vlad Cioplea/Netflix © 2022.

The male contingent of the school makes less of an impact, blandly filling their part of the story and the show does sometimes fall into the pitfalls of the YA genre, with less-than-thrilling romantic subplots and a few stock characters. But thanks to Ortega and her castmates’ commitment, ‘Wednesday’ still works.

The show has been a big hit for Netflix––both in terms of viewers and viral content––and it’s not hard to see why. Season 2 would be a welcome surprise, as there’s plenty of story left to be told.

‘Wednesday’ receives 4 out of 5 stars.

(L to R) Jamie McShane as Sherrif Donovan Galpin, and Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo: Vlad Cioplea/Netflix © 2022.
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December 29, 2022
New Trailer for Netflix’s ‘Addams Family’ Spin-Off ‘Wednesday’

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While we’ve met plenty of the Addams Family so far in trailers for Netflix’s new spin-off series ‘Wednesday’, there was one main character who had yet to be revealed. The streamer used the New York Comic-Con to unveil Uncle Fester, here played by Fred Armisen.

In typical Fester form, he’s a bald, pale sort whom Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) initially suspects might be a threat, but is delighted to discover it is, in fact, her uncle. And though he claims to be traveling incognito, we’re not sure a dalmatian-spotted motorbike exactly lives up to that concept.

With Ortega as the titular central character, ‘Wednesday’ charts her years as a teenager, albeit one who still favors dark tones and ice-cold seriousness.

As for the rest of the family, we have Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, Luis Guzmán as a Gomez who hews more closely to Charles Addams’ original comic strip version and Isaac Ordonez as brother Pugsley, the target of many of Wednesday’s schemes (though she will fiercely defend him as needed, too).

Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo: Vlad Cioplea/Netflix © 2022.

‘Wednesday’, which of course draws from Addams’ work, sprung from the minds of ‘Smallville’ duo Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who decided on a new direction. And while they never expected to, they secured the ideal creative partner in Tim Burton, who agreed to executive produce and direct the series.

“He was interested in where it was going, the mystery of the show,” Gough tells Vanity Fair. “He had a lot of questions about the previous television work we’d done, like how we were able to achieve it. He really loved that you had time to be with Wednesday and explore the character and you didn’t have to wrap things up in an hour and 45 minutes.”

‘Wednesday’ is described a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at Nevermore Academy. Wednesday attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the local town and solve the supernatural mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago — all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore.

Gwendoline Christie, recently seen in ‘Sandman’, is Larissa Weems, head teacher of Nevermore, and apparently no fan of the Addams clan, with an axe to grind stretching back years to her time as a classmate of Morticia.

Gwendoline Christie as Larissa Weems in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.

The cast also includes Thora Birch, Tommie Earl Jenkins, Iman Marson, William Houston, Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, Oliver Watson, Calum Ross, Johnna Dias Watson, Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane, Hunter Doohan, Georgie Farmer, Moosa Mostafa, Emma Myers, Naomi J. Ogawa, Joy Sunday and Percy Hynes White.

Also popping up – and providing an unexpected link to the movies – is Christina Ricci in an unknown role. She, of course, famously played Wednesday in 1991’s ‘The Addams Family’ and 1993’s ‘Addams Family Values’. Her character is one of the teachers at Nevermore.

Though it might seem to be prime fodder for Halloween viewing, Netflix has decided instead to go for November 23rd, AKA the day before Thanksgiving. Perhaps the streaming service is looking to give frustrated families something to watch between giant meals?

Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo: Vlad Cioplea/Netflix © 2022.

(L to R) Moosa Mostafa as Eugene Otinger, and Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.

(L to R) Jamie McShane as Sherrif Donovan Galpin, and Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo: Vlad Cioplea/Netflix © 2022.

L to R) Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, Percy Hynes White as Xavier Thorpe, Joy Sunday as Bianca Barclay in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.

Emma Myers as Enid Sinclair in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo: Vlad Cioplea/Netflix © 2022.

Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo Vlad Cioplea/Netflix © 2022.

Riki Lindhome as Dr. Valerie Kinbott in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo Vlad Cioplea/Netflix © 2022.

(L to R) Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams, and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Adams in ‘Wednesday.’ Photo Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.

October 10, 2022
First Look at the Addams Family in ‘Wednesday’

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Tim Burton famously passed on the offer to make a movie based on Charles Addams’ famous cartoon strip family (they’d previously arrived on screens via a 1960s TV series). But he’s now fully involved in the upcoming Netflix TV series ‘Wednesday’, which as the title suggests, focuses on the eldest child of the family.

The first trailer for the show explores how the ultimate troubled teen – not that she or her family would see her that way – has been expelled from a variety of ill-fitting schools through the years but might finally have a chance to fit in at Nevermore Academy, with which her parents have history. But even there, she faces issues (see more on that below).

It’s a stylish and fun first proper peek at the series, as Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) gets revenge on jocks who have been tormenting brother Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) by releasing piranhas in the high school athletes’ pool.

And you can also see Ortega as Wednesday in a new image, with Catherine Zeta-Jones as mom Morticia, Luis Guzmán as dad Gomez, and Ordonez’ Pugsley.

While people these days tend to associate Gomez with the suave, lithe Raul Julia from the 1990s movies (which Barry Sonnenfeld ended up directing), the intent here was to bring him back closer to the original illustrated version.

“He wanted the silhouette to look more like the Charles Addams cartoons, which is Gomez shorter than Morticia, versus the kind of suave Raul Julia version in the movies,” co-show-runner Alfred Gough tells Vanity Fair.

(L to R) Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams, Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams, and Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams in Netflix’s ‘Wednesday.’

“He’s also incredibly debonair and romantic, and I think he has all those classic ingredients of the Gomez that has come before, but he brings something also very different and new,” his colleague and fellow executive producer Mark Millar offers. “That’s something that was very important to the show – that it didn’t feel like a remake or a reboot. It’s something that lives within the Venn diagram of what happened before, but it’s its own thing. It’s not trying to be the movies or the ’60s TV show. That was very important to us and very important to Tim.”

Gough and Millar came up with the original concept and are running the show, while Burton directs and produces.

‘Wednesday’ is described a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at Nevermore. Wednesday attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the local town and solve the supernatural mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago — all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore.

Gwendoline Christie, recently seen in ‘Sandman’, is Larissa Weems, head teacher of Nevermore, and apparently no fan of the Addams clan, with an axe to grind stretching back years to her time as a classmate of Morticia.

The cast also includes Thora Birch, Tommie Earl Jenkins, Iman Marson, William Houston, Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, Oliver Watson, Calum Ross, Johnna Dias Watson, Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane, Hunter Doohan, Georgie Farmer, Moosa Mostafa, Emma Myers, Naomi J. Ogawa, Joy Sunday and Percy Hynes White.

Also popping up – and providing an unexpected link to the movies – is Christina Ricci in an unknown role. She, of course, famously played Wednesday in 1991’s ‘The Addams Family’ and 1993’s ‘Addams Family Values’.

Netflix has yet to announce when ‘Wednesday’ will arrive on the streaming service, beyond saying it’ll be in the fall. We’re thinking around Halloween might be the perfect spot. Perfectly terrible, and therefore perfect if we’re channelling Wednesday.

(L to R) Jimmy Workman, Christina Ricci, and David Krumholtz in ‘Addams Family Values.’

August 17, 2022
Neve Campbell Won’t be Back for Next ‘Scream’ Movie

Neve Campbell (“Sidney Prescott”) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream.”

In the months since the most recent entry in the Ghostface franchise – simply titled ‘Scream’, despite being the fifth movie – we’ve had a flurry of stories that represent good news for fans.

In February, a month after the latest movie opened, we learned that the next one is already in the works, with directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, part of the filmmaking collective known as Radio Silence, returning behind the camera along with writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick.

That was followed by word that ‘Scream 4’s Hayden Panettiere would be back as her character, Kirby Reed. And just this month, Dermot Mulroney was recruited to join the movie, set to play a cop (which doesn’t point to the healthiest life expectancy for his character).

But then came the bad news: Neve Campbell, one of the veterans of the franchise, the woman who has brought stalker slasher survivor Sidney Prescott to life in every one of the movies so far, would not be returning for this new one.

And, as it turns out, it’s because she’s taking a stand over a lowball pay offer. “Sadly, I won’t be making the next ‘Scream’ film,” Campbell says in a statement. “As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to ‘Scream’. I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise.”

Neve Campbell (“Sidney Prescott”) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream.”

Campbell has a point – this is a run of movies that has so far made around $774 million in the last two decades plus, and fans do keep coming back to see how Sidney fares.

She goes on to add: “It’s been a very difficult decision to move on. To all my ‘’Scream fans, I love you. You’ve always been so incredibly supportive to me. I’m forever grateful to you and to what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years.”

The movie has yet to start shooting, so there remains hope that Paramount could dig into its pockets (recently lined with lots of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ money) and put forth a better offer.

Fellow ‘Scream’ stalwart Courtney Cox will be back for the new movie as Gale Weathers, and the cast is led by the survivors of this year’s ‘Scream’ – Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter), Jasmin Savoy Brown (Mindy Meeks-Martin), Mason Gooding (Chad Meeks-Martin) and Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter), whose characters are moving out of Woodsboro to try and start the next chapter of their lives.

Little else is known about the plot so far, save that Ghostface will naturally be back to terrorize everyone and there’ll be plenty of references to horror movies. Ortega has described the script as getting “more and more gory” as it goes along, and that the masked menace will be “the most aggressive and violent version” yet.

‘Scream 6’ is due in theaters on March 31, 2023.
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June 8, 2022
Christina Ricci Joins ‘Addams Family’ TV series ‘Wednesday’

(L to R) Jimmy Workman, Christina Ricci, and David Krumholtz in ‘Addams Family Values.’

When news broke that Netflix – and producer/director Tim Burton – were planning ‘Wednesday’, a new, updated show based on Charles Addams’ ‘Addams Family’, many wondered whether the series would find a place for Christina Ricci, who famously played the character in the live-action movies.

It has – though not in her original role. Instead, according to Deadline, she’s playing a mystery new character.

Jenna Ortega, who appeared in this year’s new ‘Scream’ sequel is Wednesday here, with Luis Guzmán as Gomez, Issac Ordonez as Pugsley, George Burcea as Lurch and Victor Dorobantu as Thing.

‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Star Wars’ veteran Gwendoline Christie will be Larissa Weems, head teacher of Nevermore, and apparently no fan of the Addams clan, with an axe to grind stretching back years to her time as a classmate of Morticia.

The cast also includes Tommie Earl Jenkins, Iman Marson, William Houston, Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, Oliver Watson, Calum Ross, Johnna Dias Watson, Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane, Hunter Doohan, Georgie Farmer, Moosa Mostafa, Emma Myers, Naomi J. Ogawa, Joy Sunday and Percy Hynes White.

Alfred Gough and Miles Millar came up with the original concept and are running the show, while Burton is an executive producer and is directing the eight-episode first season. Cameras have been rolling for the past few months in Romania.

Christina Ricci in ‘Addams Family Values.’

‘Wednesday’ is described a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at Nevermore Academy. Wednesday’s attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the local town and solve the supernatural mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago — all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore.

The chance to add Ricci reportedly came about when Thora Birch – who was appearing as Tamara Novak, Wednesday’s dorm mother and the only “Normie” on staff at Nevermore Academy with a focus on all things botanical – had to leave mid-production to deal with a family issue.

She’d finished filming the bulk of her scenes, though the new character played by Ricci is apparently intended to succeed her somehow and wrap up her storyline. While the production is scheduled to finish work in the next couple of weeks, Ricci has reportedly been on set for at least a couple of months, quietly filming what the producers hope will be a gift for fans of ‘The Addams Family’ movies.

Ricci became for many people the defining live-action Wednesday after playing the character in 1991’s ‘The Addams Family’ and 1993’s ‘Addams Family Values,’ directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. There, she was a clever, morose sort, constantly plotting against her younger brother.

More recently, Ricci had a brief role in ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ and upcoming horror thriller ‘Monstrous’. She’s also been enjoying kudos for her part in Showtime’s buzzy mystery thriller series ‘Yellowjackets’.

As for ‘Wednesday,’ Netflix has yet to announce when the show will premiere, but it could be on our screens before the end of the year.

(L to R) Carel Struycken, Jimmy Workman, Judith Malina, Christina Ricci, Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, and Christopher Lloyd in 1991’s ‘The Addams Family.’
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March 22, 2022
What to Watch this Week: ‘Cherry,’ ‘Yes Day,’ ‘kid90,’ ‘Own the Room’ & more

If you’re curious as to what new movie this week might be best for you, Moviefone is here to help you find it and watch it. This week’s films feature heavy drama, child stars, pretend werewolves, young entrepreneurs, and off-beat parenting. Here are the movies we’re suggesting this week:

Cherry (Apple TV+)

Tom Holland in ‘Cherry’

If it seems like Tom Holland is everywhere these days, he is. In fact, he’s standing right behind you. This week on Apple TV+, he plays an Iraq veteran who returns home a war hero with serious PTSD. Fortunately for him, his true love Emily (Ciara Bravo) is there for him, but their life together isn’t without challenges. He spirals into drug use and crime, and keeps the worst possible company, and ends up in danger of losing the only things that keep him going.

Watch It If: You love the collaboration of Tom Holland along with directors Anthony and Joe Russo of Marvel fame, and would love to see something a little (a lot) grittier than Spidey.
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Kid 90 (Hulu)

Soleil Moon Frye in ‘kid 90’

If it cheers you up to think of better days gone by, tune into Hulu for this documentary made by a former child star about herself and other kids on the precipice of fame in the 90s. Soleil Moon Frye from Punky Brewster (available now as a reboot, of course) filmed every second of her life before it was cool or common, and she captured friends like Mark Paul Gosselar and Bryan Austin Green, plus other recognizable faces from kids with only two names.

Watch It If: You enjoy intimate portraits of people who assume every aspect of their lives is going to fascinate you (and it probably will), and if you consider it a sport to yell at the TV giving warnings to people who can’t hear you about the directions their shows and careers would take.
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Yes Day (Netflix)

(L to R) Edgar Ramirez, Jenna Ortega, Everly Carganilla, Julian Lerner, and Jennifer Garner in ‘Yes Day’

Parents are so lame, always wanting to keep their kids from doing cool stuff like breaking limbs, costing them a fortune in cleaning bills, and eating candy for every meal. Jennifer Garner and Edgar Ramirez are two such buzzkill parents, so when their kids challenge them to a day of saying only yes, they have their work cut out for them. Chaos ensues, taking the family on one adventure after another–and certainly a couple of massive cleaning bills along the way.

Watch It If: As a parent, you love giving your children terrible ideas. And if you don’t have kids, it’s just fun stuff to do when you can start having parties again.
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Own the Room (Disney+)

Daniela Blanco, Co-founder of Sunthetics in ‘Own the Room’

The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards are being held in Macau, China, and this Nat Geo documentary chronicles the lives of five entrants from all across the globe. Audiences will meet Alondra in Puerto Rico who works at her family bakery, Santosh, a Nepalese farmer, Henry, a programming genius from Nairobi, Jason from Greece who loves marketing, and Daniela, an immigrant fleeing the crisis in Venezuela. They’re competing for a $100,000 prize that will change their lives and make their businesses a reality.

Watch It If: You need a dose of inspiration and want to feel like the future is bright, and have children who will join the movement.
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The Dead of Night (On Demand, Digital)

Lance Henriksen and Colby Crain in ‘The Dead of Night’

Siblings Tommy (Jake Etheridge) and June (Colby Crain) run a ranch in an isolated part of the country. Nearby, some shady drifters have donned wolf masks and are beginning a murder spree that’s going to turn the town upside down. They leave some bodies near the ranch, spurring fear and condemnation from the community, and then the lycanthropic wannabes set their sights on the ranch and the siblings that live on it.

Watch It If: You feel compelled to howl at the moon, and at some appearances by Lance Henriksen and Matthew Lawrence.
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Trust (In Theaters and On Demand)

Victoria Justice and Lucien Laviscount in ‘Trust’

Victoria Justice plays Brooke, a strong woman who has it all–great husband Owen (Matthew Daddario), successful art gallery, and in this movie, a new artist (Lucien Laviscount) she signed that promises to be very good for business and very bad for her marriage. While she is away on a business trip to Paris with the painter who clearly wants to make her the subject of one of his racy, intimate paintings, Owen runs into some temptation of his own in the form of a journalist (Katherine McNamara).

Watch It If: You grew up seeing Victoria Justice on Nickelodeon’s Victorious and are ready to see her tackle entrepreneurship and infidelity, or if you’ve had to sop up the drool after seeing Lucien Laviscount on Coronation Street.
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Adverse (VOD & DVD/Blu-ray)

Mickey Rourke in ‘Adverse’

Ethan (Thomas Nicholas) is a rideshare driver trying to make ends meet and take care of his sister Mia (Kelly Arjen). When he learns that she has gotten tangled up with a crazy drug dealer named Kaden (Mickey Rourke) and disappears, he becomes desperate to find her. He creates a plan to become close to Kaden as his driver and obliterate his team in the process.

Watch It If: You’re in the mood for a crime thriller and/or Thomas Nicholas dropping his middle name (Ian) intrigues you.
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March 11, 2021