Fans are speculating about what could happen in the opening sequence of Scream 7,with the upcoming sequel set to begin filming later this year. Ever since Drew Barrymore's Casey Becker was brutally killed by Ghostface in the opening scenes of Scream in 1996, the opening kill has become a staple of the Scream franchise, as well as the slasher sub-genre in general. Before the death of Casey Becker and her boyfriend, Steven Orth, in the original opening sequence, there was one particular death that was never seen on screen.

Scream 7 could finally show what really happened before the Ghostface murders officially began in its much anticipated opening sequence. Maureen Prescott's murder by Billy Loomis and Stu Macher happened one year before the events of Scream, and this death that was the catalyst for the rest of the Ghostface murders in the series. Sidney Prescott's return to the franchise in Scream 7 could be the perfect time to revisit her mother's brutal murder, as it's bound to play a part in the narrative, as Sidney deals with her trauma.

Related

Scream 7: How Can The Horror Franchise Reintroduce Sidney Prescott Properly?

Scream 7 fans are cheering that Neve Campbell is playing Sidney Prescott again, and fans have ideas about the final girl's storyline in the sequel.

The opening sequence in Scream 7 could finally show Maureen Prescott's murder.

There have been countless murders in the Scream franchise, but none of them would exist without the killing of Maureen Prescott. Technically, the murder wasn't a Ghostface attack, but it was carried out by the future Ghostface killers, Billy Loomis and Stu Macher. Many fans believe the killer duo didn't don the iconic Ghostface masks until they began their murder spree during the events of Scream, but this has never been confirmed. It is revealed in Scream that Sidney Prescott falsely identified one of her mother's killers at the murder trial. Sidney believed she saw Cotton Weary leaving the scene of the crime, but it was actually Billy Loomis wearing Cotton Weary's jacket in an attempt to frame him.

It would be a great idea to actually see a flashback opening sequence in Scream 7 featuring Maureen Prescott's brutal murder through the eyes of Billy and Stu. There could be a scene where the teenagers debate whether to wear the now famous Ghostface mask, or indeed actually choose to wear the mask, revealing something new about the past. The opening sequence of a Scream movie arguably needs to include the Ghostface mask in some way, and it would be interesting to see the origins of where the iconic mask came from. There would also be the opportunity to see the Scream 3Ghostface killer, Roman Bridger, appear in the flashback sequence, as he tracks Billy down to tell him about his father, Hank's affair with Maureen, prompting Sidney's future boyfriend to plot her murder.

If Scream 7 chooses to show Maureen's murder, it would delight the fan base and play on their desire for a bit of nostalgia, while also showing them something different from the pre-Scream narrative. The opening sequence of Halloween Kills featured the aftermath of Michael Myers' escape after Dr Loomis shot him, and it showed him being apprehended by Office Hawkins back in 1978. Scream 7 could follow this type of flashback, but it must reveal some information that wasn't previously known in order to have some relevance to modern day events.

If Maureen Prescott's murder is featured in Scream 7, should they recast Billy and Stu?

It's hard to imagine anybody else playing the iconic roles of Billy Loomis and Stu Macher, but it has been nearly 30 years since Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard appeared in Scream, meaning their return to play younger versions of themselves becomes complicated. However, the technology is there to successfully de-age actors to play younger versions of themselves, so it could happen.

Skeet Ulrich was already significantly de-aged to play a younger Billy Loomis as Sam Carpenter's ghost in Scream (2022) and Scream 6, so it is possible they could do this again, as well as de-aging Matthew Lillard, and many fans want Stu Macher to return, so this would be a clever way for him to come back without having him return to the present timeline in Scream 7, avoiding controversy surrounding his supposed death.

The alternative would be to find new actors to play younger versions of BIlly and Stu, but this would likely upset the majority of fans of the original movie. Despite some significant backlash from the fandom over the inclusion of Billy Loomis' ghost in the last two movies, it was largely down to the fact that Skeet Ulrich was playing a ghost, and not the actual BIlly Loomis character.

Fans would be more than overjoyed to see Skeet Ulrich play the real Billy Loomis, especially if it was alongside Matthew Lillard as Stu, as it would give the actors a chance to re-ignite their chemistry on screen again. De-aging technology is always improving, and it could work quite well in order to facilitate Billy and Stu's return in Scream 7, with a possible opening flashback sequence.

More

Scream 7 Should Copy The Setting Of Kevin Williamson's Last Horror Movie

Kevin Williamson's Sick was set at a remote lake house near a wooded area, and this setting would be perfect for Scream 7.