MTV's Scream TV adaptation has had a bit of a rocky road. While Season 1 was praised for its original story free from Neve Campbell's Sidney Prescott, the sophomore season took a major dip in the ratings. And while the series attempted to gain some more traction with last year's Halloween special, it never climbed back to Season 1's success. MTV renewed Scream for a third season, but it was unclear how exactly the thriller was going to move forward. Although now we have an idea, and it's downright killer.
Season 3 of Scream will start fresh, abandoning the characters and settings from the previous two seasons. THR is reporting that six episode third season has tapped a new showrunner in Brett Matthews (Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries), who will help craft a new story that won't focus on a bunch of privileged white kids being massacred. Additionally, Queen Latifah has joined the project as an executive producer, with THR claiming that Season 3 will feature a more diverse and inclusive cast of characters. In fact, none of the original cast members have been asked to return, marking the end of the Lakewood Six's battle against being murdered.
This is a major change, as Scream had previously attempted to craft a story revolving around the mythology of Brandon James. Following Emma Duvall as she attempts to survive a pair of serial killers, the first two seasons eventually revealed both killers that were terrorizing the town. But the Halloween special also teased the return of Brandon James himself, who was strongly hinted to be Emma's biological father. Although now it looks like we won't get any concrete answers to those cliffhangers.
As a fan of the MTV's Scream, I do wish that the network found a way to merge the first two seasons with the upcoming one. I did feel invested in certain characters, specifically Audrey, Brooke, and Noah. That being said, Scream wasn't without its faults. The Halloween special failed to truly change the dynamic of the characters, besides killing Kieran. Additionally, the first two seasons saw LBGT characters and people of color being murdered, while the majority of the white, straight protagonists made it out alive.
It should be interesting to see how Queen Latifah and company craft a new story for Scream. With Season 3 lasting just six short episodes, Scream has the unenviable task of creating a new setting, characters we give a shit about, terrifying new killer, and a plot that is more exciting than the somewhat bland and predictable events of the first two seasons. With just six episodes, it's going to take some impressive writing and pacing to make it work.
We'll just have to wait and see when Scream eventually returns to MTV. Season 3 doesn't have a release date or cast yet, but be sure to check back with us here at CinemaBlend for updates. In the meantime, check out our summer premiere list and plan your next binge watch.
