Scream lore
Rules for a Horror Trilogy
Scream 2000
“If you find yourself dealing with an unexpected backstory, and a preponderance of exposition, then the sequel rules do not apply. Because you are not dealing with a sequel, you are dealing with the concluding chapter of a trilogy.”
— Randy Meeks
The rules for the final concluding chapter of a trilogy stated by Randy:
“You've got a killer who’s gonna be superhuman. Stabbing him won’t work, shooting him won’t work. Basically, in the third one, you gotta cryogenically freeze his head, decapitate him, or blow him up.”
“Anyone, including the main character, can die. This means you, Sid.”
“The past will come back to bite you in the ass. Whatever you think you know about the past, forget it. The past is not at rest! Any sins you think were committed in the past are about to break out and destroy you.”
Rules of a Horror Film Remake Scream 2011
A signature device, started in Scream and continued in future films, was the typical “rules” for that type of horror movie being stated by the characters. These rules were made up as the story moved along. They were shared by Charlie Walker, Robbie Mercer and Sidney Prescott. The rules are:
“Don't fuck with the original.” (Stated to be the first rule by Sidney.)
“You pretty much have to be gay in order to survive. Everybody dies.”
“The original ending is a false ending in the remake.”
The killer is always behind you.
The Rules
Scream 2022
These rules were made up as the story moved along and shared by Dewey Riley to the teenagers. The rules are:
Never trust the love interest. They seem sweet, caring, supporting and then welcome to Act 3 where they're trying to rip your head off.
The killer's motive is always connected to something in the past.
The first victim always has a friend group that the killer is a part of. Look for them there. If you find out why they're doing it, you can find out who's next. This is stated to be the most important rule.
Although not an official rule made by Dewey, Samantha Carpenter introduces a new rule that you should “never fuck with the daughter of a serial killer”, before murdering Richie Kirsch.
The Rules
Scream 2023
These rules were made up as the story moved along and shared by Mindy Meeks-Martin to the rest of the group. The rules are:
Everything is bigger than last time--bigger budget, bigger cast, and bigger body count, with more beheadings, shoot-outs and longer chases.
Everything that happened last time, expect the opposite.
No one is safe, with legacy characters becoming disposable.
Main characters become expendable so the franchise can live on.
