Scream 5’s recent set photos tease a secret legacy connection to the first movie, but what does it mean for the upcoming movie? We have some ideas.
Set photos for Scream 5 revealed the eerily familiar location of Stu Macher’s (Matthew Lillard) house, where the final bloody battle with Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) and Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) took place at the end of the original movie. Director Wes Craven’s meta slasher horror movie has tied together each installment with the intentions of taking out Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott for good. While they have all been unsuccessful to date, the potential return to the Macher house from 1996’s Scream could mean several things for the franchise, including the possible death of its iconic lead character.
Wes Craven is one of the most well known names in horror history. He made his debut in 1972 with the unforgettable—and very controversial—exploitation movie, The Last House On The Left. His filmography continued to build with several other titles including The Hills Have Eyes, A Nightmare On Elm Street, The People Under The Stairs, and eventually, the Scream franchise. The Craven name became heavily associated with the slasher genre after the creation of his character Freddy Krueger, the villain of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. As he became increasingly aware of the staleness of the sub-genre, he created Scream as a way to critique the formulaic nature of slasher movie villains, and how each movie in long-running horror franchises has a nearly identical foundation. However, after several installments, Scream fell into the same, formulaic nature it first critiqued so many years ago.
With Scream 5 swiftly approaching, fans are anticipating a return to the meta aspects of the original, especially considering its title, Scream. By sharing the same title as the original, Scream 5 alludes to a return to the start. In the same vein, the 2022 movie involves several original characters, locations, and elements that were so inventive when Craven’s original movie released in 1996. The title has also been seen as a way to honor the late director’s legacy. While unconfirmed, when set photos for Scream 5 teased that Stu Macher’s house might return and be another connection to the original movie, it brought about several questions about what it could mean for Sidney Prescott as well as the franchise as a whole.
Since Scream 5 was announced, fans have anticipated the announcement about whether original cast members would return. As of this writing, it has been confirmed that Arquette will return as Dewey Riley and Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers. Initially, Campbell did not announce that she would come back as Sidney Prescott at first, but this detail was later confirmed on September 10, 2020. Since three of the original cast members have been confirmed, the emergence of Stu Macher’s house posits Matthew Lillard may also make a comeback as Stu. While the first movie had Sidney drop a television on his head, successfully killing him, Lillard theorized on social media that his character didn’t actually die.
Now that the set photos have potentially unveiled the Macher house, Lillard’s post could have an all new meaning for Scream 5. If Stu does return, it will likely be after spending a lengthy sentence in prison or following a prison break. He has two primary reasons for going after Sidney: her attempt to kill him and the death of Billy. Just like Halloween Kills returns to Haddonfield Hospital and the Myers house, the locations in Scream allude to a major change in the franchise’s direction. Every slasher series appears to be returning to where it all began with these legacy connections. While it’s possible Lillard is a well-kept secret, it’s also likely that the location might be used on its own for Sidney to confront her fears of Ghostface.
Sidney has struggled with the post-traumatic stress of the events that took place in her teenage years that all culminated at the Macher house. With Gale and Dewey beside her, Sidney may be able to finally put everything behind her. Whether there’s a major face-off between Sidney Prescott and either a new or old Ghostface, it is likely that Stu Macher’s house in Scream 5 will be utilized to conclude the franchise where it all began and bring it full circle.
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https://screenrant.com/scream-5-set-photo-tease-stu-house-return-meaning/