Scream 5 Cast Guide: All New & Returning Characters
Andrew Patterson Ghostface is back to pick off a slew of new Woodsboro citizens in the fifth entry in the Scream franchise - here's every new and returning character.
Ghostface is back to pick off a slew of new and old Woodsboro citizens in the fifth entry in the Scream franchise and this batch of victims is full of new and old faces. The Scream franchise began with Wes Craven's 1996 film, one that revived the slasher genre for a new generation with a meta twist. Serving as a commentary on the slasher boom of the 1980s, Scream riffed on the ridiculousness of the genre while serving up gory kills and a twisty reveal with every movie, along with a host of iconic characters.
At the center of the Scream franchise is Sidney Prescott, a woman from Woodsboro who is consistently terrorized by Ghostface. The first Scream movie saw her boyfriend Billy and close friend Stu come after her and each successive Ghostface has, in some way, been related to the original series of events. There to assist Sidney in her attempts to stop Ghostface are Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley. Gale began the series as a reporter who investigated the murder of Sidney's mother, but the two quickly bonded over their near-death experiences. Dewey also finds himself wrapped up in Ghostface's machinations in each film after his sister Tatum, Sidney's best friend, was murdered in the original 1996 film.
Little is known about the plot of the fifth Scream movie. Trailers have revealed that, once again, a group of Woodsboro teens will be terrorized by Ghostface, who is connected to the original killings in some way. For the sake of secrecy, much about their identities remains under wraps. Early reactions to Scream have been extremely positive, hailing the return of the franchise as a worthy update that riffs on sequel culture. As for who Ghostface really is, that remains a mystery, but it could be one of the many new and returning characters featured below.
Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott
As the Scream franchise's original Final Girl, Sidney Prescott is integral to the films and Neve Campbell will return as the now-iconic character. Inevitably, each movie sees Sidney terrorized by Ghostface. 1996's Scream revealed that Ghostface was Billy Loomis and Stu Macher. Billy was Sidney's boyfriend and it turned out that he had killed Sidney's mother, Maureen, the year prior to the events of Scream. Each successive film has seen Sidney terrorized by someone closely related to the murders in Woodsboro and the marking for the fifth Scream has hinted that Ghostface will once again be closely linked to the original movie's events. Besides the Scream franchise, Campbell is known for roles in iconic 90s hits like Wild Things and The Craft, as well as a guest stint in House of Cards.
Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers
Courteney Cox will reprise the role of Gale Weathers, but this time she may be playing it solo. While she was married to Dewey in Scream 4, it seems Gale may be divorced when the new movie begins. Dewey appears to be living alone and roughing it, while Gale looks to be back in top form with a myriad of stylish blazers. Like Sidney, Gale is steadfast in her commitment to stopping the latest Ghostface, teaming up with Sidney again to put a stop to the killer's murderous rampage. Cox is perhaps best known for her roles in sitcoms like Friends and Cougar Town, but Gale also belongs in the pantheon of Cox's best characters.
David Arquette as Dewey Riley
The final returning legacy character, David Arquette is returning as Dewey Riley, former Woodsboro sheriff. Many think that Ghostface will claim Dewey as one of his victims in Scream thanks to some trailers that have hinted at the demise of a legacy character. Dewey also looks to be in a rough spot when the latest Scream begins - the normally put-together sheriff is sporting stubble and is no longer living in the home he shared with Gale in Scream 4. Still, before he's potentially killed, Dewey will be the one to bring back Sidney to Woodsboro, for better or worse. Arquette's long career in movies and television has included roles in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer film and Hamlet 2.
Scream 5 New Characters
Melissa Barrera as Sam Carpenter
Melissa Barrera will star in Scream as Sam Carpenter. Sam is being positioned as the newest film's Final Girl, but little is known about her character otherwise. She seems to have some mysterious connection to the original Ghostface, but that has yet to be revealed and Sam may have more secrets up her sleeve. Barrera has also starred in 2021's critically acclaimed musical In The Heights.
Jack Quaid as Richie Kirsch
Jack Quaid stars in Scream as Richi Kirsch. Trailers have made it seem as if he is in some sort of relationship with Final Girl Sam, making his chances of surviving the movie unlikely. Besides his connection to Sam, though, Richie remains a mysterious character and how he could be connected to one of the legacy characters is unclear. Quaid has made appearances in several films, including The Hunger Games, but he's best known for his role as Hughie in Prime Video's hit series The Boys.
Dylan Minette as Wes Hicks
13 Reasons Why alum Dylan Minette stars in Scream as Wes Hicks, the son of Judy Hicks. Judy is Dewey's former deputy at the Woodsboro Police Department and, since Scream 4, she has taken on the role of sheriff. Minette's character's name appears to be an homage to original Scream director Wes Craven, but besides this meta connection to the franchise, his in-universe character is seemingly unrelated to the original killings. His relation to Judy Hicks makes Wes seem like a prime candidate for an emotional kill in Scream. In addition to 13 Reasons Why, Minette has also starred in Don't Breathe and Scandal.
Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin
Jasmin Savoy Brown stars in Scream as Mindy Meeks-Martin. Longtime fans of the franchise recognized Mindy's last name, as Meeks was also the surname of Jamie Kennedy's fan-favorite character Randy. A video eventually confirmed that Mindy (and her brother Chad) are the niece and nephew of Randy, making their connection to the legacy characters of Scream apparent. Whether or not that makes them suspects as to Ghostface's real identity in Scream or victims of the killer remains to be seen. Brown starred in season 2 of HBO's critically acclaimed series The Leftovers and currently stars in Showtime's word-of-mouth hit Yellowjackets.
Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin
Mason Gooding stars as Chad Meeks-Martin, Mindy's brother and nephew of Randy Meeks. Besides his connection to Randy, little is known about Chad. Scream promotional videos have shown that Chad is a football player and one of his friends even jokes that he could be a suspect due to the bruises on his body. Chad, however, claims they are from football practice. Chad and Mindy being behind the latest murders feels like too obvious of a twist, but it still would payoff a long-running theory for Scream that Randy is actually Ghostface. Gooding previously appeared in Olivia Wilde's directorial debut Booksmart and also has a main role in Hulu show Love, Victor.
Scream 5 Supporting Characters
Mikey Madison as Amber Freeman
Mikey Madison stars as Amber Freeman in Scream and although her mysterious character has people thinking she could be Ghostface, it seems she may meet her ending in the movie. In the trailers for Scream, her clothes match up with one of Ghostface's victims who is being burned alive by a flame thrower. Still, the trailers for Scream are intentionally misleading, meaning this could be a fakeout for an even bigger twist. Freeman is most known for her role in FX's Better Things.
Jenna Ortega as Tara Carpenter
Jenna Ortega stars as Tara Carpenter, sister to Sam. Like Amber, Tara appears to be one of Ghostface's victims in Scream which would make sense in that it could bring Sam Carpenter to Woodsboro. This feels like another fakeout, though, and Ortega could actually be a much more prominent character than initially thought. She at least seems to survive her initial encounter with Ghostface, making it all the way to the hospital. Whether or not she meets her demise there, though, is unclear. Ortega starred in You season 2 on Netflix and is set to take on the titular role in Tim Burton's Addams Family series Wednesday for the streamer.
Sonia Ben Ammar as Liv McKenzie
Sonia Ben Ammar will appear in Scream as Liv McKenzie. Little is known about Ammar's character save for that she is in the group of friends that Ghostface is targeting. It seems likely that Liv will be picked off by Ghostface early unless some major twist reveals that she is actually a lot more than she appears. Scream is Ammar's first major movie role.
Marley Shelton as Judy Hicks
Marley Shelton will reprise her Scream 4 role as Judy Hicks. Formerly a deputy, Judy is now the sheriff of the Woodsboro Police Department, and her son Wes becomes ensnared in Ghostface's latest rampage. Her connection to the original Scream Ghostface killings has already been made clear - Judy went to school with Sidney during the original film. Judy's fate in 2022's Scream seems precarious. She might be easy pickings for Ghostface, both as the town's sheriff and as an emotional kill given her status as one of Scream 4's standout characters.
Kyle Gallner as Vince Schneider
Kyle Gallner plays Vince Schneider in Scream and, by all accounts, it looks like he will be killed off quite early in the film. His connection to the rest of Scream's cast is unclear as he appears much older than the rest of the high schoolers. Sometimes, though, Ghostface just needs a few extra bodies and, unfortunately for Gallner, his Scream character appears to fit the bill. Gallner has appeared in various projects across film and television, including Wet Hot American Summer, The Shield, Outsiders, and Ghosts of War.
