In the world of Scream, everyone’s a suspect.
That simple setup sums up the entire premise of popular online game Among Us, which makes every player sus. Because the production was so wrapped in secrecy that no one knew who the actual killer was, franchise newcomers Melissa Barrera (In the Heights) and Jack Quaid (“The Boys”) compared their time on the set of Scream to a game of Among Us.
In Scream, releasing in theaters on January 14, Barrera plays Sam Carpenter and Quaid her boyfriend Richie. Ahead of release, the pair chatted with Bloody Disgusting about their experience on the film, Barrera’s new love of horror, and Quaid’s talent for improv.
“I would’ve never even looked at a horror script if it hadn’t been Scream,” Barerra admits. “And so I opened it because it was Scream, and because I know how big it is… because I was a huge fan when I was little. And then I loved the character. So I was like… the script is so good and there’s the original characters coming back… yes, no brainer.”
Quaid notes, “I was a horror fan beforehand. I had done one horror movie… and I think I was really into being in a horror franchise staple. And I think Scream is perfect. I really love things that are kind of meta, commenting on themselves.”
He continues, “In terms of my character… especially in the beginning of filming, we all got different scripts. I was never really quite sure what the situation was. In some versions some characters die, in other versions other characters die. In some versions somebody’s the killer, in other versions someone else is the killer. It was like a big game of Among Us.”
Our interview with Barrera and Quaid also touches upon the multiple takes that were filmed to play into the “whodunnit?” aspect. You can watch the quick video chat down below.
In the brand new Scream movie…
“Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, a new killer has donned the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town’s deadly past.”
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett directed, and Chad Villella executive produced. James Vanderbilt (Murder Mystery, Zodiac, The Amazing Spider-Man) and Guy Busick (Ready or Not, Castle Rock) wrote the script. Michel Aller served as the editor for the film.