Scream, the fifth entry in the long-running horror franchise, sees the return of the surviving trio who has endured 25 years of Ghostface killings, as Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Riley (Courtney Cox) and Dewey Riley (David Arquette) are back for another round of slasher antics. But they're not alone.
It has been more than a decade since the last slayings and this latest installment will feature a cast packed with new characters with familiar faces. Who are the actors playing the teens trying to survive? And who will outsmart the person (or people) causing this bloody chaos to live another day?
Melissa Barrera as Sam Carpenter
The Mexican actress wowed critics with her performance as Vanessa in Jon M. Chu’s 2021 adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical In the Heights, which saw her singing talents on display. Now Barrera will be using her impressive pipes for very different reasons in Scream. Barrera also starred as the lead in the Starz drama series Vida and will play the titular role in the forthcoming musical Carmen.
Sam Carpenter is a clear "Final Girl" contender. While Sidney is one of the definitive slasher Final Girls it doesn’t mean she won’t share the crown
Survival Odds: High
Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin
Playing the cool kid in a slew of teen projects has allowed Mason Gooding to step out of the shadow of his Oscar-winning father Cuba Gooding Jr. Gooding first made a name for himself in the breakout hit Booksmart, followed by Hulu’s Love, Victor. Other credits include the Netflix festive movie Let It Snow, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, Picard and Ballers.
The Woodsboro High letterman jacket worn by Gooding as Chad suggests this is another popular guy role, a possible sign of his imminent demise. His surname connects him with Randy (Jamie Kennedy from the first three Scream movies), which could be a blessing and a curse.
Survival Odds: Slim to Moderate
Jenna Ortega as Tara Carpenter
Twenty-year-old Jenna Ortega has been steadily working for a decade with regular TV roles that include young Jane across five seasons of Jane the Virgin, the lead in Stuck in the Middle and as Joe’s neighbor Ellie in season 2 of You. Horror movie Insidious: Chapter 2 marked Ortega’s first brush with horror. She has also appeared in Yes Day, The Fallout and The Babysitter: Killer Queen. Next, she is playing the title role in the new Addams Family Netflix series Wednesday.
In Scream, Tara is Sam's sister. The trailer suggests she might not make it past the opening credits.
Survival Odds: Slim to None
Jack Quaid as Richie Kirsch
Being covered in fake blood is something Jack Quaid has already experienced multiple times thanks to his starring role in the hit Prime Video series The Boys. He is another cast member with famous parents (Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid) and has also racked up an impressive resume, including The Hunger Games, Plus Ones, HBO period drama Vinyl and voice acting in Star Trek: Lower Decks.
His comedic talents point to a Stu (Matthew Lillard) or Randy-type character, so he could make it to the end (but also be the killer).
Survival Odds: Good
Dylan Minnette as Wes Hicks
One of the most recognizable new cast members is Dylan Minnette, who recently starred in Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why. The young actor has also appeared in several of the biggest TV shows of the last 10-plus years, including Lost, Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy, Prison Break and Supernatural. Minnette is no stranger to the thriller and horror genre, either, appearing in Prisoners, Let Me In, Don’t Breathe, and The Open House.
In Scream, he is playing the son of Scream 4 survivor Deputy Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton), which puts him in good stead to live through this bloodbath.
Survival Odds: High
Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin
Anyone currently watching Showtime’s Yellowjackets will recognize Brown as the teen version of headstrong Taissa. Brown has also appeared in HBO’s The Leftovers, the Freeform series Stitchers and Shondaland’s For the People. She has recently launched a podcast in association with Netflix called The Gay Agenda with Yellowjackets co-star Liv Hewson.
In Scream, Brown is likely the sister to Mason Gooding’s Chad. Again, the surname Meeks connects them to Randy — this is probably why she is suspicious of everyone. This makes her a contender to survive (or maybe she is the killer).
Survival Odds: Moderate to Good
Kyle Gallner as Vince Schneider
Veronica Mars is a classic teen TV show and Gallner played a pivotal part in the first two seasons as Cassidy "Beaver" Casablancas. Ghostface is not the first killer he has faced in horror, as he can be seen in The Haunting in Connecticut, Jennifer’s Body and the 2010 Nightmare on Elm Street remake. He also had a recurring role in CSI: NY.
Vince is giving off dirtbag vibes in the trailer and he is also not on the main poster (and doesn’t have an individual character poster), which means he is not long for this world.
Survival Odds: Slim to None
Sonia Ben Ammar as Liv McKenzie
Scream marks the Hollywood debut of French model and singer Sonia Ben Ammar. She has appeared in campaigns for a number for Chanel, Miu Miu, Carolina Herrera, and Dolce & Gabbana.
In Scream, she has dyed pink hair, and her surname potentially links to the McKenzies,t who lived next door to the original Scream's Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore).
Survival Odds: Slim to Moderate
Mikey Madison as Amber Freeman
In 2019, Madison played infamous Charles Manson follower Susan “Sadie” Atkins in Quentin Tarantino’s history-altering Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. Madison’s other major role is as Max Fox in Pamela Adlon’s FX dramedy Better Things and a guest-starring role on Bravo's Imposters.
In the Scream trailer, Madison’s character Amber is shown opening a fridge, something that got Dewey’s sister Tatum (Rose McGowan) killed in the original movie. It is also Amber who Tara thinks is texting her when the landline is ringing, which is an ominous sign.
Survival Odds: Slim to Moderate
