The latest installment of the Scream franchise, Scream VI, will arrive in theaters soon. Ahead of its launch on March 10, the film's distributor, Paramount Pictures, launched a marketing campaign that has gone viral and even resulted in numerous 911 calls from concerned citizens.
The campaign sees hired hands dress up in the iconic Ghostface costume – a black hood, and a white deformed face mask with sunken eyes and a slack jaw – and stand in the street. The character was spotted in numerous cities across the United States, including Sonoma, California; New Orleans, Louisiana; and St. Louis, Missouri.
@xfire.com Scream 6 marketing campaign goes viral in the United States #scream6 #scream6tiktok #scream #fyp #foryou
Many Sonoma residents dialed the authorities to report sightings of the creepy character and the police department had to take to social media to assuage residents and inform them that it is only a marketing campaign.
The police statement reads:
This morning our dispatch center received multiple calls for service regarding an individual standing at 1st St. E/E Napa St. wearing a SCREAM costume. This individual has been contacted and was hired by a company through Paramount to promote the new SCREAM movie. Thank you for everyone’s concern, it’s been addressed.
Given the conversation the campaign has generated, Paramount’s campaign is a huge success. Ironically, the first Scream film, released in 1996, filmed several scenes in Sonoma, which isn't surprising given that its fictional town of Woodsboro is based on the Californian city.
Scream VI is the direct sequel to the 2022 reboot of the franchise titled Scream. Instead of the fictional town of Woodsboro, it will feature a new location, New York, for the first time ever. Scream VI will also feature a different type of Ghostface with the character wielding a shotgun alongside the knife that previous incarnations have come to be known for.
Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, Jasmine Savoy Brown, Courteney Cox, and Mason Gooding reprise their roles from the 2022 film, Hayden Panetierre will return from earlier in the franchise, and Roger L. Jackson will voice the slasher character as he has done in every installment of the film till date. Scream VI will also see the addition of Dermot Mulroney, Jack Champion, Tony Revolori, Samara Weaving, and Josh Segarra to the cast.
Unfortunately, Neve Campbell, who starred as Sidney Prescott and has appeared in every Scream installment to date, will not return, as she was not satisfied with the studio’s wage offer.
Like the 2022 reboot, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett of Radio Silence directed Scream VI based on a screenplay by James Vanderbilt and Guy Bisick. Finally, franchise creator, Kevin Williamson, returns as executive producer.
By the way, Scream VI will have the longest runtime in the franchise and it will be 100 times gorier than its predecessor. Given all of the hype the film has gotten ahead of its debut, alongside the positive early critical reactions it has garnered, Paramount Pictures and its entire production crew will be hopeful for a great run at the box office.
