Kirby Should Get A Spin Off Movie Instead Of Returning For Scream 7

Scream 7

By Callum Murray

Published May 27, 2024

The Scream franchise is full of iconic characters, and Kirby Reed is among the most popular with the fans, due to her encyclopedic knowledge of horror movies and her funny one-liners. Kirby has appeared in both Scream 4 and Scream 6 in the series. However, the only cast member officially confirmed for Scream 7 is Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott. More legacy characters, including Kirby, could still make a return, but a spin-off movie centered on Kirby might be a better idea.

Hayden Panettiere's return as Kirby in Scream 6 in 2023 was the first time she played the character since 2011. After years of speculation over whether her character died at the end of Scream 4, Kirby's survival was confirmed in Scream (2022) when Ritchie was scrolling through YouTube for Stab related content, and came across an interview with Woodsboro survivor, Kirby Reed. If the character returns again, she should be the protagonist of her own story.

Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed in Scream 4

Scream 4: Why Is Kirby Such A Popular Character?

Kirby made a big impression on Scream fans when she appeared in the fourth movie, and there are many reasons why she's an awesome character.

Is Kirby Likely to Return For Scream 7?

Kirby Reed survived the events of Scream 6, so there is a strong possibility she will return in Scream 7. However, it isn't as simple as that due, to the upheaval that occurred after the upcoming sequel was officially announced. Melissa Barrera was fired from Scream 7, while Jenna Ortega exited due to scheduling conflicts. This has led to their co-stars speaking out about the situation, including Hayden Panettiere. Panettiere shared her thoughts about Barrera's firing in an exclusive interview with The Messenger:

After she [spoke out], then a whole bunch of other actors and people in the industry started to do the same thing, right? It was almost like she just did it earlier than everyone else. You know, a lot of people hadn't really asked her how she felt. Melissa is such a bada-- as a human being and as an actress... She was hurt by it, but I think she took it in stride and was very, very gracious about it.

Panetierre also said that Barrera's firing was "very unfair and upsetting." This raises questions over the likelihood of her character, Kirby Reed, returning in Scream 7 after the actress publicly criticized Spyglass Media. Neve Campbell also criticizes Spyglass during the pay dispute, which led to her absence in Scream 6. However, it looks like this didn't go against her, as she has signed on for Scream 7. Panettiere's criticism of Spyglass is different because it directly links to the Melissa Barrera situation, which puts her potential casting in Scream 7 in doubt. There's also the possibility that Panettiere doesn't want to return, and wishes to stand in solidarity with Barrera.

Why Kirby Should Get Her Own Spin-Off

When Kirby Reed returned to the Scream franchise in the sixth movie, she was very different from the character the fans came to know and love in Scream 4. Kirby was now an FBI agent based in Atlanta, who traveled to New York to investigate the Ghostface attacks targeting her fellow Woodsboro alum. Kirby states that she investigates Ghostface attacks all over the country, opening up the possibility of a spin-off movie showing Kirby Reed tracking down a Cult of Ghostface killers across the United States.

Scream 6 was packed full of characters. This didn't leave much room to explore Kirby Reed's backstory, despite her presence being very welcome. Fans didn't get to learn much about how she spent the years in between Scream 4 and Scream 6. If she returns in Scream 7, there is a strong possibility this could happen again. After all, the focus seems to be moving back to Sidney Prescott, and potentially a new group of characters.

In addition, Kirby's current story is more closely linked to the Core Four, rather than Sidney and Gale. With that in mind, a Kirby-focused spin-off would be an idea worth exploring. It would be fun to see Kirby in her Atlanta office, heading up a team of agents hunting down Ghostface killers all over the country. It could also tie into the events of Scream 7, and it would be a step in the right direction towards creating a true Scream-verse.

A Kirby-led spin-off could also give fans the chance to witness the Woodsboro high graduate reconnecting with her horror movie-obsessed past, with plenty of references to the genre she loves so much. Apart from one scene in the Ghostface shrine in Scream 6, where Kirby conntects with Mindy Meeks-Martin over their shared passion for the horror genre, fans didn't get to see that side of Kirby in the 2023 movie.

The main reason fans loved Kirby so much in Scream 4 was because she was the logical heir to the throne of the original movie buff, Randy Meeks. This aspect had been missing from the franchise since the popular character's death in Scream 2. Like Randy, Kirby was the voice of the audience. This makes her not only lovable and relatable, but the perfect candidate for a spinoff movie in the future.