Summary
With it already being one of the more divisive choices of the movie, Neve Campbell is sharing her thoughts on Dewey’s death in 2022’s Scream. After having survived multiple Ghostface attacks in the previous four movies and being one of the faces of the slasher franchise alongside Campbell and Courteney Cox, David Arquette’s plucky deputy-turned-sheriff finally met his demise in the fifth movie as he was stabbed in both the back and stomach and cut upwards. Though something planned in the original Scream, it was a death that ultimately left franchise fans heartbroken.
During an appearance at Monster-Mania Con (via People), Campbell opened up about Dewey’s death in Scream. The actor held nothing back in her blunt discussion, feeling that killing off the character was both “tragic” and a disappointment, though acknowledged its value in creating a more impactful story for both him and the rest of the characters. See what Campbell said below:
I was so sad about Dewey’s death. And I don’t usually like to criticize the writing in these projects. But I was really disappointed in their choice to get rid of David… We were all in love with him and I think we all felt pretty sad about that. Which, of course, is the reason they do it ’cause it has more impact. But now I miss him. I want to see more of him.
Dewey’s Scream Death Had To Happen Eventually
Around the time of the movie’s release, Arquette expressed a similar internal debate over the direction 2022’s Scream was taking with Dewey, initially being excited with the more dramatic route the character would be taking before realizing it was to kill him off. Describing it as a “fresh wound”, the franchise veteran admitted it was a “hard” choice to accept and that he had to take some time to “process it”, but that he recognized how it would raise the stakes for the sequel.
As both Arquette and Campbell point out, Dewey’s death in the Scream franchise had to happen at some point, and the 2022 sequel was ultimately the right place. Given the movie picks up with the character at his lowest place yet, the natural progression was for him to redeem himself in the eyes of those he cares about, namely Cox’s Gale Weathers and Campbell’s Sydney, even if the latter wasn’t privy to how his life had taken a downward turn.
Additionally, Dewey’s death in 2022’s Scream set up a further sense of tension as it established that no one was safe in the new movies, including legacy characters. 2023’s Scream VI sought to subvert these expectations by not only killing off the first set of Ghostface killers in its opening sequence, but also nearly killed both Gale and Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby Reed. With Campbell reportedly being sought for a return in Scream 7 following the losses of both Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega from the sequel’s cast, one can hope she doesn’t suffer the same fate as Dewey after being the franchise’s ultimate final girl.
Source: People
Release Date: 2022-01-14
Director: Tyler Gillett, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
Cast: Mason Gooding, Melissa Barrera, Mikey Madison, Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Jenna Ortega, Kyle Gallner, Courteney Cox, Sonia Ammar, Marley Shelton, Dylan Minnette, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Jack Quaid
Rating: R
Runtime: 114 minutes
Genres: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Writers: Guy Busick, James Vanderbilt
Summary: The 2022 incarnation of Scream is the fifth entry in the franchise, set twenty-five years after the brutal murders caused by Billy Loomis and Stu Macher shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro. Now a new killer has donned the Ghostface mask and has begun targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town’s deadly past. Following the prior killers’ footsteps, a new Ghostface attacks a high school student named Tara Carpenter. When her sister learns of the attack, she returns to check on her and meets with Tara’s old friend group. However, Ghostface strikes again when they visit the hospital, forcing them to partner with series regulars Dewey Riley (David Arquette), Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), and Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) to discover the truth behind the original Woodsboro murders and stop the new copycats.A 6th Scream film was confirmed to be in development and will be arriving on March 10 2023, picking up after the events of Scream (2022.)
Budget: 24 million
Studio(s): Disney
Distributor(s): Disney
prequel(s): Scream 3, Scream 2, Scream 4
Franchise(s): Scream
