It's a great time to be a horror fan. The genre has been thriving for years now, with the current renaissance inspiring some of the best horror movies to return to theaters via new sequels. That includes the Scream franchise, which has produced two new wildly successful blockbusters in quick succession. Scream 3 actress Parker Posey recently expressed wanting to get in on the fun by returning as Jennifer Jolie, despite her apparent death in Wes Craven's threequel. And I actually think her return would make perfect sense.
The third Scream movie is a project unique to the rest of the franchise. The violence is really toned down, with Craven and the company leaning more heavily on comedic beats. Parker Posey stole every single scene she was in, and had killer chemistry with Courteney Cox in particular. The Indie queen recently spoke to ComicBook and share how she's already pitched the idea of reprising her role in an upcoming horror movie, saying:
I did an interview for WNYC radio like three weeks ago for the play I was doing, and they said, 'Well, there's some people here that want to say hi.' And it was the Scream team. And I actually pitched, 'Can I just be in another dimension and come back?' I would love to do that. That was really fun. I can't believe Wes Craven let me get away with some of the silly stuff I was doing. I loved him, and that was fun.
Jennifer Jolie got one of the more iconic chase sequences in Scream 3, fighting Ghostface off behind soundproof glass while calling to David Arquette's Dewey for help. While she was seemingly killed off, we didn't spend a ton of time with her body. What's more, it looked like she only got one stab wound. That's child's play compared to the violence of the last two movies.
And Parker Posey isn't the only one who would like to see her return to the Scream franchise. Because back in March, Radio Silence director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin was asked by ET about which legacy characters he'd like to see return to the beloved franchise. He didn't mince his words, saying:
Parker Posey [from Scream 3].
Well, it looks like the feelings are mutual. And as such, it feels actually possible that we could see the Party Girl icon back in the beloved horror franchise. We'll just have to cross our fingers and wait for any official news from Paramount. After all, a seventh movie hasn't even been green lit yet. Then again, Scream VI broke box office records for the franchise, so it seems somewhat inevitable.
When I spoke with the filmmakers behind Scream VI ahead of its release, they revealed than an easter egg hinted at what other legacy characters they'd like to see return. While the movie was chock full of easter eggs (including an entire shrine to the franchise), some fans on Twitter discovered a reference to Jennifer Jolie that might have indicated she didn't die in the threequel. Check it out:
I can’t believe I’m the first one to point it out. JENNIFER JOLIE is mentioned in SCREAM VI. Hint at her survival???Near the third act of the movie, we get to see this sign. what NO ONE has said about it is the (talk show?) RETROSPECTIVE from JENNIFER JOLIE. “MON-FRI” #SCREAMVI pic.twitter.com/Es6LuwFP9oMarch 16, 2023
If this was the filmmaker's hint that Parker Posey could be on her way back to Scream, it would make a great deal of sense. In the fifth movie they confirmed the survival of Hayden Panettiere's Kirby Reed through an easter egg, before bringing her back for Scream VI. So there's a precedent there.
Jennifer and Kirby also feel similar because they each suffered a stab wound to the stomach, which didn't necessarily mean that they actually died. If there's one lesson we've learned from Scream is a person can handle a ton of injuries. As a reminder, you can check out Posey's "death" scene below:
While Scream fan theories that characters like Stu or Casey are still alive feel far fetched, Jennifer Jolie's death doesn't feel like a sure thing. And with both Parker Posey and the current directors interested in seeing Jennifer Jolie back on the big screen, hopefully we'll see this happen sooner rather than later.
Scream VI is still in theaters now, and much of the franchise is streaming on Paramount. While fans wait for news about another sequel, sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
