[This story contains spoilers from Scream 7.]
The biggest question in every installment of the Scream franchise is always the same: Who is Ghostface?
In Scream 7, the answer is three killers — including Sidney Prescott’s neighbor, Jessica Bowden, played by Anna Camp. The film also marks the return of franchise final girl Neve Campbell and sees original Scream writer Kevin Williamson step into the director’s chair.
Before Jessica’s late-film reveal, her screen time is fairly limited. But Camp tells The Hollywood Reporter the character almost had even less. “It was everything that you saw in the initial script, minus the scene with Gale on the front porch,” she says, adding that the creative team debated how much of Jessica to show so they wouldn’t “shine too bright of a light” on Ghostface.
Following the film’s opening weekend success, Camp also addressed online backlash after posting that the “boycott didn’t work,” referring to people protesting after Melissa Barrera was fired from the film over her social media posts about the Israel–Hamas war. Below, Camp clarifies what she meant — and why she felt it was important to apologize.
Read on as Camp discusses the film’s biggest spoilers, Jessica’s motive, her intense fight scene with Sidney — and what’s she’s heard about Scream 8.
***
I heard you say that Kevin Williamson told you upfront that he wanted you to play Ghostface. At that point, did you think you were going to be the only one or did you know that there would be two others in the film?
He told me during the Zoom meeting that there were a couple of Ghostfaces. I didn’t know exactly how many, until I got to read the script. But I was aware that it wasn’t just me and that I was working in cahoots with some others Ghostfaces.
Who else in the cast knew you were Ghostface?
Oh my gosh. I know obviously Neve did, because she’s Neve Campbell, she’s Sidney Prescott. (Laughs.) I’m not sure who else got to read the entire script. It could have been everybody, or it could have just been a limited amount, I don’t know.
I’ve never been sent to an office in Beverly Hills and gone up in an elevator and then put into a room by myself with a watermark script, with the door closed, and then have them come in and take it away from me, immediately. I felt like I was in a espionage movie or something, classified information.
You mentioned creating some of Jesscia’s backstory yourself — what details did you imagine about her life before the events of the film?
I definitely thought about who she was married to and what that relationship was like. She references that she was in an abusive relationship with her husband. Just having to put myself in someone’s shoes and what it’s like to be married to a narcissistic abuser, and what that can do to somebody who might already be vulnerable to feelings of depression or obsession, to get her to be in the psychiatric hospital. Those were the things that I really worked on. What it felt like to be in that relationship — and then what it means to transfer all of those feelings of love that she couldn’t have in her own marriage onto this person that she had never met, Sidney Prescott, and how it became her outlet in a way, for her to have something to focus on. Certain people do that. They become incredibly obsessed. That’s what happened to Jessica. Sidney became all of the things that she wished she could have from a healthy relationship. So that’s where she put all of her energy and focus on getting Sidney to come back. And that’s why she says, “I’m creating Sidney 2.0, I’m creating this new version,” because it’s now become the thing that I’m addicted to, so I don’t have to focus on my actual life.
In regards to her motive, what do you think Jessica truly wanted from Sidney?
I think what she really wanted for her was to be the best that she could be. I think Jessica and her own really messed up distorted view of the world, knew Sidney was this final girl, this ultimate, real, true badass and hero. And it was really getting under Jessica’s skin that she wasn’t accomplishing that. Jessica was like, I love this person so much, but I only really love them if they are at their peak selves, operating in this high functioning Ghostface, attacking final girl realm that she really was like, I’m going to do everything I can to get her back there, even if it means sacrificing my own life for my obsession. That’s that’s how I played it, and that’s how I pictured it, and I hope that it came across.
Did Kevin give you specific guidance on how Jessica’s motivation should come across?
She’s completely unhinged in this moment, fierce and wild, animalistic. I remember him saying, “Do not hold back at all. I’ll pull you back if I think you’re going too far.” He truly gave me the freedom to leave it all out there that night when we were shooting that scene, and when a director gives you freedom like that, it just opens so many doors emotionally for an actor, because they feel like they have the freedom to try and fail and just be wacky and weird. That’s kind of the director that I love working with. Shooting that scene is one of the highlights of my entire career that I’ve ever gotten to have.
Were there subtle clues you intentionally placed in your performance that viewers might notice on a rewatch?
There were some things. When I’m smacking Lucas [Asa Germann] in the beginning, and I’m just telling him to shut up. The smack was probably a little harder than a normal mom who didn’t worry about what their son living or dying would do. Also, the scene in the coffee shop when I’m talking to her, I was as Jessica, I’m so happy to get private alone time with Sidney. That scene, I was just trying to really make it very easy and comfortable for her to talk to me because Jessica wanted all the time in the world that she could have with her. Even though that scene was very short in the film, as an actor, I’m trying to create a very safe, soothing, warm environment for the object of my obsession to share and be open with me, and to stay longer and perhaps get another coffee, like that’s what I’m I’m planning on doing. So maybe you can see a little twinkle in my eye (Laughs.) if you go back and watch that scene.
Your fight scene with Neve was pretty intense. Obviously we know which parts aren’t real, but how much of that did you actually perform Vs. a stunt double?
I had the best stunt double in the world. She absolutely killed it. When I’m getting choked on the ground by Neve, I’m getting choked. Obviously safely with a stunt coordinator there. When my face is getting red and my vein is popping out of my head. That’s obviously me. There’s the scene where she slams me up against the garage door and we’re stabbing each other [with fake knives], and all of that is very real. Also, the final shots to my face, I did two takes of that, and I remember it was the second take, my neck really flipping back, and everybody rushing over to me and being like, “Oh my God, Anna, are you OK?” And I remember just saying, “Well, did it look OK?” They were like, “Yeah, it looks like you really got shot in the face.” And I thought, “Well, then you have to use that take, right?” And they’re like, “Yeah, we got it. We’re done. No more of that.”
Was there ever talk about having a fight scene with Courteney Cox’s Gale and Ghostface? I believe this is the only film in the franchise where we don’t see them interact.
Oh, I have no idea. But that would have been cool. I always love seeing Courteney Cox kick some butt with Ghostface. (Laughs.)
Yeah, at the same time, it was sad seeing how fragile she was based off of the brutal sequence from Scream VI.
Especially when they’re talking in the newsroom, and then she has to go over and take the pills. They made it very real, and it tracked really beautifully. Your heart really goes out to Gale Weathers in those moments. Courteney gave a beautiful performance. Also, she’s so funny in this movie, and her entrance is just one of the most iconic entrances of any character in any franchise I have ever seen. I remember when I read that in the script, my jaw was on the floor, and I went, “Yeah!” I cheered alone in a room while reading the script. (Laughs.)
Would you come back for a flashback scene? It’s hard to imagine Scream 8 won’t happen.
I know there’s going to be a Scream 8. I’ve already heard people talking about it. I don’t think Jessica is alive obviously. (Laughs.) She could have a twin out there, right? I love playing twins. But yeah, 100 percent. I’m just so honored that I got to be a part of the franchise at all. So of course.
So you’ve heard that Scream 8 is happening?
Just rumors, just rumors. I haven’t heard from anyone specifically that I worked with, like Kevin or Neve but I’ve heard the rumors going around that there’s a Scream 8.
Who all did your character kill? Was she the Ghostface who killed your son?
I think that I killed McKenna Grace’s character. If you’re watching the movie and you see the Ghostfaces in action, a lot of the kills are strong. Like Ethan Embry and then the other actor playing the other Ghostface, they can lift people, they can do things. I’m not necessarily lifting people or doing these, but I do think that using the knife and slicing, is something my character could have accomplished. And I’m not sure if I killed my son or not, and so I don’t know. I’m gonna leave that up to the audience to decide which Ghostface did the son killing.
You issued an apology for a statement that mentioned how the boycott didn’t work. At the time of the tweet, what were you trying to express, and what would you like to clarify now, if anything?
I’m glad you asked this. I’ve always been such a supporter for people standing up and fighting for what they believe in, and it was really never my intention to discredit that. At the time, I was just very thankful for the fans that were going out and making Scream 7 such a success and buying tickets because the cast and crew worked so so, so hard on this film, and it was only my intention to thank the fans that were going to see the movie.
What made you decide it was important to apologize publicly?
My heart is very big. I am a very sensitive person. A very sensitive actor. And I just wanted to clarify that in no way was it my intention to minimize or belittle anyone. That’s why I removed the post because when I posted it. That was never my intention to do anything like that, and I wanted to make sure that people knew that. I really meant no harm.
Some fans have said they were confused by the final reveal and wished they had seen more of Jessica before the unmasking. What have you taken away from the audience’s reactions to that moment?
I’ve tried not to look at too much stuff because I worked so hard on that scene, and it was so important to me. I wanted the fans to be happy. What I felt when I read the script was, I just need a little more definition of my character in the beginning or the middle part of the film to help make that reveal pay off even more. And I did speak up for myself. So I did all I could do. Then, the producers can do with the movie what they will. So, I definitely fought for a little more, and I’m happy that I fought for it. At the end of the day, I’m very happy with what ended up on the screen. I hope that people can enjoy my performance, despite being possibly frustrated by their confusion on the motive or the reveal.
***
Scream 7 is now playing in movie theaters. Check out all of The Hollywood Reporter‘s coverage here, including interviews with Kevin Williamson, Michelle Randolph and Mckenna Grace.
Read the full article here
