We’re currently in the midst of what is affectionately called spooky season, as Halloween approaches and moviegoers enjoy their favorite horror movies. For many that includes Wes Craven’s genre bending slasher Scream (known as one of the best horror movies of all time), which returned to theaters in January and inspired yet another sequel. Unfortunately Scream 6 will seemingly be the first without David Arquette’s Dewey. And the long-time franchise star recently spoke about his character’s death, and not being able to join the cast for the sixth movie.
The fifth Scream movie was directed by Ready or Not filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who expertly found a way to replicate the franchise’s signature tone. The movie featured a new cast of characters, as well as smaller roles for the original trio of heroes. But David Arquette’s Dewey didn’t make it out alive, and the 51 year-old actor recently spoke to ComicBookMovie about being left out of the upcoming horror movie sequel, saying:
I know, it was really sweet to see the reaction of the fans. It was hard. It was a project I really loved being part of. They went off to do number six and I was like, ‘Oh, okay…’ [Laughs] It’s hard. It’s something that’s really close to my heart, but I love how they handled it.
That makes a great deal of sense. It’s almost impossible to imagine the new Scream movie without David Arquette and Neve Campbell, but that’s exactly what we’re expected to get with the upcoming slasher. While Dewey was killed off in the last movie, Campbell dropped out of Scream 6 due to a pay dispute. So the pressure is definitely on. Luckily Courteney Cox will still be back as Gale Weathers.
David Arquette’s feelings definitely track considering how long he’s been associated with the Scream franchise. The original movie filmed back in 1996, and he grew up, dated and got married, and had kids with co-star Courteney Cox in the years that followed. He also had a close relationship with Wes Craven, which no doubt raises the emotional stakes.
Later in his same interview, David Arquette addressed his death as Dewey, and whether or not he could still appear in a future installment of the beloved franchise. He got honest about the rules of the horror genre, saying:
I think my character had a really good role in Scream 5 and had a lot to do. That was really nice. We’ll see… Yeah! [Laughs] Who knows, anything is possible. I mean, how many movies have Jason or Mike Myers been in? Not that Dewey’s a killer, but there is a coming-back-to-life element within these horror films.
He’s not wrong. Horror is known for bringing back villains from the dead, and the Scream franchise has its own history with resurrection. Jamie Kennedy’s Randy appears in Scream 3 from beyond the grave thanks to a video he recorded before being killed, while the fifth movie featured protagonist Sam (Melissa Barrera) having visions of Skeet Ulrich’s Billy Loomis. So maybe seeing Dewey isn’t totally out of the question.
The sixth Scream movie is currently expected to arrive in theaters on March 31st, 2023. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
