Summary
Scream 7will shift its focus back onto Sidney Prescott once again, after the Carpenter sisters' story came to an abrupt end due to Melissa Barrera’s firing and Jenna Ortega’s scheduling conflicts.The sixth sequel has the opportunity to explore the backstory ofScream 3’s Ghostface killer, Roman Bridger,who was Sidney’s long-lost half brother. Roman was instrumental in encouraging the original Ghostface killer, Billy Loomis, to murder Maureen Prescott a year before embarking on his official Ghostface murder spree with Stu Macher.
Many fans have expressed a renewed appreciation ofScream 3and its unpopular plot points, with Roman Bridger being praised for being the only Ghostface killer to act alone, and also for being a franchise mastermind of sorts.Scream 6was the first sequel to mention Roman in any meaningful way when Kirby Reed pointed out his unique solo killing effort.Scream 7could follow this up with a proper deep dive into Roman Bridger’s origin story.
Roman Bridger Initiated The Start Of The Ghostface Killings In The Scream Franchise
Maureen Prescott’s murderwas the catalyst that sparked the Ghostface killings in Woodsboro inthe 1996 original. Billy Loomis and Stu Macher carried out the brutal attack on Sidney’s mother a year before they donned the iconic Ghostface mask and began slicing and dicing their way through their sleepy Californian town. However, it was revealed inScream 3, thatit was Sidney’s neglected half brother,Roman Bridger, who instigated Maureen’s murder,when he informed Billy Loomis of his father, Hank’s affair with Sidney’s mother.
Roman Bridger is the closest thing to afranchise mastermind in the Scream franchise, as he is arguably partly responsible for every Ghostface killing spree. If Roman hadn’t twisted Billy’s mind and inspired him to kill Maureen, he probably wouldn’t have targetedSidney Prescottand their friends a year later inScream. If Sidney hadn’t killed Billy to protect herself and her friends, Billy’s mother, Mrs Loomis, wouldn’t have sought revenge on the iconic final girl inScream 2’s best idea.
Roman Bridger was directly responsible for all the Ghostface murders inScream 3, as he also sought revenge on Sidney,as she got to have a relationship with Maureen, while he was abandoned. Also, without Roman Bridger’s initial influence on Billy, there wouldn’t be aStab movie franchise, which led to Richie and Amber’s toxic fandom motive inScream (2022)and their targeting of Billy Loomis' daughter, Sam Carpenter. This was then followed by Richie’s family seeking revenge on Sam for killing their son and brother. It’s a vicious cycle and all roads lead back to Roman Bridger.
Directed By
Kevin Williamson
Sidney’s familywill potentially be targeted by Ghostface inScream 7, as the original final girl will be the focus once again. But it’s not just Sidney’s husband, Mark Kincaid, and their daughters who could be focused on in the upcoming sequel, with the Prescott family having a very complicated, murderous past. Sidney has faced off against two of her family members in the past, with her brother, Roman Bridger, donning the Ghostface mask inScream 3, followed by her cousin, Jill Roberts, inScream 4. However,it’s Roman Bridger’s backstory which could be explored in more depth inScream 7, as his actions were largely responsible for all the trauma Sidney has suffered over the years.
Scream 7could make a huge revelation about the past, in relation to Roman Bridger’s involvement in Maureen Prescott’s murder.Even though Billy and Stu claimed responsibility for the killing, there is a possibility that Roman actually killed his mother,and inspired Billy and Stu to continue his work with the Ghostface killings a year later. Roman was definitely capable of such a brutal crime, as he proved when he went on to kill the cast ofStab 3: Return To WoodsboroinScream 3. However, it would be a potentially dangerous retcon of the prior events surrounding Maureen’s murder, but one that would make some sense.
Alternatively,it could be discovered that Roman wasn’t an influence on Billy Loomis after all, and just some crazed psychopath who wanted attention,and possibly wasn’t even Sidney’s brother. Many fans weren’t happy with the discovery that Sidney’s long-lost brother had instigated Maureen’s murder, as it lessened the impact of Billy and Stu’s crimes. The last three Scream sequels haven’t mentioned Roman’s blood relation to Sidney, which suggests the franchise is possibly trying to move away from this particular piece of franchise lore.Kevin Williamson’s initial plansforScream 3didn’t involve Sidney’s long-lost brother as the Ghostface killer, so there’s every chance he could choose to retcon the idea. Either way, Roman Bridger’s influence on the Ghostface killings and his links to Sidney should be explored in more depth inScream 7.
