With Scream 5 promising to bring slasher fans a sequel that retains the unique spirit of the original series, audiences may worry that the upcoming movie may play things too safe. But while it’s true that many long-running horror franchises have grown stale by relying on the same formula, the next installment of the Scream saga seems to be shaking things up.
According to author and designer RJ Torbert – perhaps most famous for naming the series’ iconic “Ghostface” mask – the fifth film may have not just multiple killers, but multiple masks as well.
“There’s been a rumor going around that the ultra-white mask is involved,” said Torbert in a recent interview with Ghostface UK. “What I will tell you is that the killer, the main killer, will not have the ultra-white mask. There’s something else involved, and it’s not the white mask!”
While that might not be a blood fountain of information, it still promises a major shakeup for the Scream brand. The white mask is not only the series’ most recognizable icon, but also one of the very few constants throughout the movies and TV show. Though the idea of having multiple different masks in a slasher film is nothing new, it’s hard to imagine a fresh design sharing screen time with the Ghostface mask without becoming overshadowed as a result.
Torbert could also be implying that the sequel may not even feature the famous mask at all. While this isn’t likely since the only teaser released so far showed nothing but the mask and the release date, we can’t rule anything out at this point.
In any case, hopefully we’ll find out more before Scream 5 – which comes from Ready or Not directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick – hits theaters on January 14th, 2022.