How Can Scream And Other Horror Sequels Avoid This Problem?

Summary

Exciting horror sequels await in 2025-2026 - Scream 7, I Know What You Did Last Summer & Final Destination: Bloodlines!
Concerns about legacy sequels watering down original characters with brief cameos and lack of development.
Anticipation for well-drawn old and new characters to blend seamlessly in the upcoming horror sequels.

2025 and 2026 are exciting years for horror fans, especially if someone loves scary movies from the 1990s as much as I do. Final Destination: Bloodlines will scare everyone when it's released on May 16th, 2025. The I Know What You Did Last Summer legacy sequel will be released on July 18th, 2025. Fans can finally check out the new Ghostface when Scream 7 is in theaters in February 2026. And then, according to Deadline, the Scary Movie reboot will be in theaters on June 12th, 2026. I can't decide which one I'm more excited for.

But, having seen numerous legacy sequels that have some flaws, like the Halloween trilogy, I have some concerns. As long as these three legacy sequels avoid one specific issue, I'll be happy.

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By Aya Tsintziras

I Want Scream 7, Scary Movie, Final Destination, And I Know What You Did Last Summer To Avoid This Problem

There's always going to be a fine line between introducing younger characters and paying fan service to the audience members who have been there from the beginning. However, my main issue is when horror legacy sequels rely too heavily on nostalgia and feature brief legacy character cameos with no character development.

Halloween is a good example of this. Iconic final girl Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is a brave and clever character in the original 1978 movie. Then, she's watered down in the 2018 reboot, and Laurie is then stuck in a hospital room in Halloween Kills. Kyle Richards, who played Lindsey Wallace in the original, also appears in the second movie in David Gordon Green's trilogy. While it's fun to see her as an adult, audiences don't learn anything about her, and she might as well not be in it at all. I also wondered why this new Laurie was so different from the person audiences were first introduced to. I know she's been through a lot, but there was a disconnect there.

I want to see Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) in all her intelligent glory in Scream 7. I hope that Regina Hall and Anna Faris come back for Scary Movie. I also want I Know What You Did Last Summer to dive deep into Freddie Prinze Jr.'s character Ray Bronson and do a great job with Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) as well. Although Final Destination: Bloodlines won't include Devon Sawa, I'm hoping that a legacy cast member will make a secret cameo or at least be mentioned. The trick here is ensuring that audiences get updates on these beloved characters that are thoughtful and fleshed out. Who are these people now? How has the trauma of what they've endured affected them? What are their hopes and goals?

Scream 6 did a good job with fan favorite Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere). Instead of simply featuring her in a quick cameo that doesn't bring much meaning to the overall story, Kirby is a strong FBI agent who serves a purpose. She helps the others since she has experience with Ghostface and knows a lot thanks to her career. This felt like the perfect way to bridge the gap between new and older characters. I would love to see this pattern repeated in these four sequels.

I understand that new, younger characters have to be featured in horror sequels. Without them, what's the point of making a reboot or a new movie? But I can't be the only horror fan who has been disappointed with some legacy sequels. I hope that these four highly anticipated movies have well-drawn characters, whether they are new or they appeared in the original movies.

What Other Big Horror Sequels Are Being Released In 2025 And 2026?

Ethan Hawke as The Grabber in The Black Phone

Two of the biggest upcoming horror sequels are The Black Phone 2 and M3GAN 2.0. The Grabber will have an epic return in The Black Phone 2, which will be released on October 17th, 2025. Story details may not be available, but since the cast is returning, I can assume that The Grabber will be targeting new kids and the original characters will be looking for him, too.

M3GAN 2.0 will be released on June 27th, 2025 and is another upcoming horror sequel that fans are talking about. The first images of the evil doll prove she's as unsettling as ever, and I'm looking forward to seeing what chaos she creates this time around.

2026 will also be a huge year for fans of The Exorcist. Mike Flanagan is making a new The Exorcist sequel and said it's going to be particularly fear-inducing, which is fun to hear.