Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Scream, Ready or Not) are back behind the camera for Scream VI, now playing in movie theaters nationwide.
In the brand new movie, “The Scream saga continues with the four survivors of the Ghostface killings as they leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.”
That means we can expect themes and character arcs introduced in 2022’s Scream to deepen. With Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett at the helm, that also means brand new Easter eggs and franchise nods nestled within the slasher thrill ride. The franchise, since its inception, revolves around its commentary and reverence for the horror genre, after all.
Bloody Disgusting spoke with the directors ahead of the film’s release. They explained that they couldn’t resist one of the more obvious references regarding their New York City set sequel: Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan.
The filmmakers hide the Easter egg in plain sight very early into Scream VI, establishing a playful tone for horror fans in the know.
Bettinelli-Olpin explains, “I think it’s funny; it was really serendipitous, actually. We kept making jokes, obviously; from the first time we read the script, Jason Takes Manhattan was a part of the conversation. But we never had a place for it in the movie to actually call it out. Then that, what you’re talking about, we had a list of movies from Paramount that they owned that we could use in the movie. The second we saw that one, we were like, ‘Oh, there it is.’ It all just fell into place.”
“That was the lowest hanging fruit, and oftentimes, you don’t want to pick the lowest hanging fruit because it feels too obvious, and then you see it, and then you go, ‘Well, there’s no better choice,'” Gillett reveals of their thought process.
“…if you get it, you get it. It lets you know that you’re in for a fun ride,” Bettinelli-Olpin adds.
Keep your eyes peeled for that Jason Takes Manhattan homage in Scream VI!
During our chat, the directors also discussed their experiences making this sequel, the devoted fanbase, and ensuring maximum fun with suspenseful set pieces. While touching upon the gorier kills and a more ruthless Ghostface, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett revealed another Easter egg, a deep-cut tribute to special makeup effects artists Josh and Sierra Russell (2020’s Hellraiser, Bliss, Malum). Check out the full interview below.
The post ‘Scream VI’ Directors Couldn’t Resist Sneaking in a ‘Jason Takes Manhattan’ Easter Egg [Interview] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.