Originally, the idea behind Scream was that it would be a homage to other horror movies.
“I wanted to tell a story that was first and foremost frightening, but also funny with cool, hip characters. And, I wanted to pay homage to all those classic horror films I relished as a kid. What I never expected was to actually become a part of the genre itself. I believe the Scream phenomenon is an example of pure magic. Very rarely do all the elements of filmmaking come together so beautifully. My script found its way to the right studio. To the brilliant Wes Craven. To the most amazing cast. And a host of other talented people. Everything just came together. Like magic,” said screenwriter Kevin Williamson who also penned Sick, Scream, Scream 2, Scream 4, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, The Faculty, I Know What You Did Last Summer as well as the TV series Dawson’s Creek, The Vampire Diaries and others.
If you are preparing for Scream 7 with a rewatch as we are, here is a guide to all the Easter Eggs we know of and ones you might have missed.
Scream (1996)
First and foremost, the iconic Ghostface mask and the name of the movie was inspired by the famous painting of the same name by Edvard Munch.
Part of the reason Skeet Ulrich was cast was because of his resemblance to Johnny Depp. Wes Craven also cast and directed Depp in A Nightmare on Elm Street.
The entire opening scene was Craven’s tribute to one of his favourite horror movies: When a Stranger Calls (1979).
Billy (Skeet Ulrich) climbing through Sidney’s (Neve Campbell’s) bedroom window mirror not only what Joey Potter routinely did to Dawson Leery in Williamson’s TV show Dawson’s Creek but Glen (Johnny Depp) also did that to Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) in A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Sheriff Burke is portrayed by Joseph Whipp. Whipp also played a police officer in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Williamson deliberately wrote the character into Scream. His backstory was he fled to California after all the Elm Street business only to be caught up in another high profile case.
Linda Blair appears as the Obnoxious Reporter early on. She was a scream queen who starred in many horror movies including The Exorcist.
Craven himself appears as the Fred The Janitor and is dressed like Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare On Elm Street.
After finding Casey dead at the beginning of the film, her dad tells her mom to “go to the MacKenzie’s”. This is a tribute to John Carpenter’s Halloween, Williamson’s favourite film. In Halloween, just before the big finale with The Shape (Michael Myers) Laurie Strode instructs the children she is babysitting to go to the “MacKenzie’s house” and call the police.
Drew Barrymore, a big name star as Casey, being knocked off early on is a tribute to Janet Leigh who as Marion Crane is unexpectedly killed off early on in Psycho as a gimmick, big surprise.
Billy Loomis’ name is a homage to Dr. Sam Loomis in Halloween.
Tatum’s jersey with the number “10” on it is in reference to Johnny Depp’s character in A Nightmare on Elm Street.
During the finale Billy Loomis says: “We all go a little mad sometimes.” That line was originally said by Norman Bates in Psycho.
When Casey tells Ghostface that her fave horror movie is Halloween she picks up a butcher knife, one like Michael Myers is fond of using.
Henry Winkler, Principal Arthur Himbry, is shown browsing through his closet. In the closet, is the leather jacket Winkler wore as The Fonz in the TV show Happy Days.
A party guest shouts “Hi-Ho, Silver!”. This is what Bill Denbrough says in Stephen King’s It in reference to his bike.
Randy’s horror movie rules: You can never have sex. Big no-no. Sex = death. You can never drink or do drugs. It’s a sin and an extension of rule number one. Never, ever say, “I’ll be right back.”
Scream 2 (1997)
Writer Kevin Williamson is the TV host who interviews Cotton Weary.
Matthew Lillard makes a cameo in a party scene with Portia de Rossi and Jamie Kennedy.
At the movie screening, a replica of Ghostface flies across the theatre on a zip-line. That idea is from the movie House on Haunted Hill (1959). During a screening, a plastic skeleton was flown over the audience’s heads to scare them.
The shot of the shower head is directly from Psycho.
The “Kill, Kill, Die, Die” in the phone segment is a riff on “Ki-Ki-Ma-Ma” from Friday the 13th.
The killer’s motive references the very first Friday 13th movie.
Heather Graham in Stab echoes Drew Barrymore in Scream.
Randy rules: The body count is always bigger. Death scenes are more elaborate, featuring more blood and gore. Never assume the killer is dead.
As Cici (Sarah Michelle Gellar) flees Ghostface, Nosferatu is playing on the television. Gellar starred in Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Wed Craven appears in the background during a hospital scene.
Scream 3 (2000)
Craven appears as a studio tour guide.
Carrie Fisher cameo. She appears as a studio archivist.
Randy’s Trilogy Rules: the killer is superhuman, anyone (including main characters) can die and that the past will come back to haunt the characters.
Roger Corman appears as a producer.
Scream 4 (2011)
Trevor (Nico Tortorella) wears the same clothes that Neil Prescott (Lawrence Hecht) wore in Scream.
Robert Rodriguez directed The Stab footage in the film.
Ghostface quizzing Kirby on her horror movie knowledge to save Charlie’s life mirrors the scene with Drew Barrymore at the start of the original Scream, just the roles are reversed.
Chloe references Ringu and The Grudge with her comment “little Asian ghost girls”.
Olivia refers to Final Destination when speaking about Sidney.
Kirby and Jill are watching Shaun of the Dead.
Deputy Perkins is named after Anthony Perkins from Psycho.
Scream (2022)
Tara plays with the kitchen knives exactly like Casey in the first movie.
Sam Carpenter is a tribute to John Carpenter.
Tara is watching Dawson’s Creek, which is the TV show writer Kevin Williamson created.
Tatum’s ashes are in Dewey’s home.
The Wes Memorial Party is for director Wes Craven.
The final shot echoes the original film.
The shower scene is a homage to the shower scene in Psycho.
The store is called is Abe’s Snake. Abe Snake was Wes Craven’s pseudonym.
Wes Hicks is a tribute to Wes Craven and Craven’s date of birth is in his phone number.
Rian Johnson is cited as the director of Stab 8.
The character names in Judy’s phones are Leroy, from The People Under the Stairs. Nancy T., Heather Langenkamp’s in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Tina G., Amanda Wyss’s character in A Nightmare on Elm Street. B. Adams, which is Brandon Adams, Fool in The People Under the Stairs.
On the mantle in Mandy Meeks’s house there is a photo of the marquee of a movie theater listing all Wes Craven movies: A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Hills Have Eyes and the Last House on the Left.
Scream 6 (2023)
The Jason Carvey character is named after Friday 13’th Jason Voorhees and since this movie takes place in New York, Jason Takes Manhattan is playing on Jason’s TV in his apartment.
On the subway train there is someone dressed as Grace from Ready or Not. That film was directed by Scream 5 directors Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and starred Samara Weaving who is the first victim at the start of this film.
Other costumes on the train are:
Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street)
Michael Myers (Halloween)
Pinhead (Hellraiser)
Pennywise (It)
Grady Twins (The Shining)
Sam from Trick ‘r Treat
Midsommar flower costume
A Wednesday Addams costume appears at a party. Jenna Ortega starred in the Netflix show.
In the therapist’s office is the Pazuzu statue from The Exorcist among other horror items.
Directors Bettinelli‑Olpin and Gillett have brief cameos in the subway scene. One as Kurt Cobain and another with a fake butcher knife.
Unmasking the Ghostface Killers
Name
Motive
Death
Billy Loomis
His father had an affair with Sidney’s mom, Maureen. He blames Maureen for breaking up his family and ruining his life. He is also a thrill killer.
Sidney shoots him in his fat head.
Stu Macher
Peer pressure and thrill-killer too.
Sidney drops a television on his fat head.
Name
Motive
Death
Mrs. Loomis (Debbie Salt)
Revenge for the murder of her son Billy in the first film.
Shot in her fat throat by Cotton Weary and subsequently shot in her fat head by Sidney Prescott
Mickey Altieri
Fame, wanted to be a media sensation.
Multiple gunshot wounds to his fat body by Gale and Sidney.
Name
Motive
Death
Roman Bridger
Fame and being abandoned by his mother Maureen.
Shot in his fat chest and head by Dewey.
Name
Motive
Death
Jill Roberts
Jealous of Sidney’s fame, craves the spotlight.
Sidney electrocutes her fat head with defibrillator paddles and then shoot her in her fat chest.
Charlie Walker
Jill’s boyfriend, devoted to her.
Jill stabs him to death in his fat head and stomach.
Name
Motive
Death
Richie Kirsch
Fame and legacy, wanted to “restart” the franchise and cement themselves in history.
Amber turns on Richie stabbing his fat body multiple times.
Amber Freeman
Same as above.
Shot by Gale, falls onto a lit stove, catches fire and is shot by Tara in her fat head.
Name
Motive
Death
Detective Wayne Bailey
His son Ritchie was killed by Sam in the last movie.
Sam stabs him a zillion times and then delivers a final blow in his fat eye.
Quinn Bailey
The detective’s daughter convinced by him to avenge Ritchie’s death and add to Ritchie’s legacy.
Tara belts her in her fat head with a brick and then Sam shoots her in her fat head.
Ethan Landry
The detective’s other son convinced by him to avenge Ritchie’s death and add to Ritchie’s legacy.
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