ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese talks Scream VI star Jasmin Savoy Brown about the meta-fright sequel (see and read more interviews). Scream VI is out on digital now and now streaming on Paramount+. It applies to 4K and Blu-ray on July 11.
“After Ghostface’s latest murder, the four survivors leave Woodsboro and start a new chapter. Just as they start to feel normal, they receive an ominous call. Ghostface is more more brutal and relentless than ever and will not stop looking for them,” reads the official synopsis of the movie.
Tyler Treese: I thought the New York City setting was very refreshing for the series. What did you like most about making this wild horror film that takes place in New York?
Jasmin Savoy Brown: Well, I love New York, so at first I was excited to spend a summer in New York. Then I went, “Oh man, are we going to Montreal?” I fell in love with the city. But New York is for the characters – not for me – It’s just… oh my God, it’s terrible. Ghostface can be anyone, anywhere. There are millions of people in that city alone. So this raises fears. This raises the possibility of fears. It elevates everything. I’m excited to see how it turns out.
That scene in the subway was just horrible. You talk about how Ghostface can be everywhere, especially in crowded places. How was filming that scene? The claustrophobia came through the camera very well.
Thank you! Shout-out to our amazing camera team. When Ghostface enters the scene – like an actor, when he comes to the set, when they say action – something happens. Just talking about it makes me shiver. It feels real. And so the shooting made me a little scared on the subway today. Like the fact that it’s crowded and no one sees or hears or does anything. I mean, unfortunately, that happens. It’s really scary.
One thing that really impressed me about your performance in both shows was how you mixed the seriousness of the horror parts with the meta-humor that Scream is known for. As an artist, how satisfying is it to show such a wide range in these shows?
Oh, it’s just a dream. I mean, I have to give all of the credit to our writers, because it’s really, really great writing. Obviously, we have amazing directors, so it’s a team effort. I consider myself very lucky, very lucky, to have sunk my teeth into these scripts. And it’s just so much fun. Mason is very easy [Gooding]Melissa [Barrera]and Jenna [Ortega] to take risks, to be funny, to try things, to fail. It was a dream job, top to bottom.
I thought all the returning characters really held their own in the sequel. How did it come back as an actress? Scream V was well received, so you need not only that camaraderie with the cast, but a little confidence. How does this sort of play out in the sequel?
Yes, there is confidence that the franchise will definitely return, but also a little nervousness because everything has changed. The budget was increased, the shooting length was increased, the cast was increased, and we don’t want to disappoint anyone, from everyone who gave us the green light to do this film, obviously the most important, the fans . So there is a little bit of pressure, but mostly joy and excitement to be able to spend a summer doing what I love with people I love.
The fan base really likes it. With these two movies, how is it, to see this new group of characters fully embraced by franchise fans? There must have been some concerns, at first, that they would only come for returning stars, but now they are as established as many big faces.
It’s crazy to even think about it. I didn’t spend much time thinking about that. You are right. The first time it was scary. We thought, “Are we going to be rejected? Do people want us on screen? Can we get booed?” But to receive such love and open arms from the fans is overwhelming and a dream come true. I would do a thousand of these movies if I could.
One thing I really like about Scream VI in particular is that we get to see an exploration of siblings and friendship. We’ll see Jenna Ortega in more of a starring role throughout. What exactly was known about working with him as a scene partner? I was really impressed.
I love Jenna. That’s my girl. I am very protective of him. He is an amazing artist, as the world now knows – we knew that early on. He lost anything! [Laugh]. I really like improvising or flirting with my scene partners when we’re good friends, because I also think it just brings something out of them. So sometimes I’ll do things to Jenna in a scene and she’ll roll with it! Do things like little inside jokes or add a word or make a face and he’ll roll with it and make it better. I think that’s what Jenna is as an actress. He took what was given to him and held it up. I am very proud of all the work I get to do with him.
You can also have a small post-credits scene in this movie. How cool is that?
I didn’t see it!
The last thing the theater audience will see is a joke from you. How cool is it to be the last face on everyone’s mind?
It’s crazy. I really like to see this. I saw the movie – not in the premiere, unfortunately, I had to catch a plane – and so I watched it in France and the energy there was not the same as what I heard in the States. It was very quiet in the cinema. I happened to be sitting in front of two women who knew me. So after the movie, we walked and talked during the credits. So I miss it. What is this?
You’re like, “Not everything needs a post-credits scene at the end.” Very meta.
Really funny!
I also loved your performance in the video game Spider-Man: Miles Morales as The Tinkerer. Can you talk about that show? Video games have become very big and you need to do motion capture for that. How personal was that experience?
Oh man, super personal. I had a wonderful time with that whole group of people. Mocap is really fun to do. It’s crazy to think that, somehow, I’m in the Marvel universe, and working with Nadji [Jeter] it’s so much fun. Motion capture is difficult because unlike film and TV, they cannot edit. It’s always just one take because it’s multi-angle. There are thousands of cameras at once, so you can’t mess up and then reset. If you mess up a word, you have to go back to the beginning. So that job … I had to be more unreadable, more perfect in my lines, perfect in everything, than before. So I think it makes me a better actor.
I’m looking for yours YouTube channel and I saw your music videos and I really admire the song”badness.” Can we expect more music from you in the future?
Yes. When? I don’t know, but yes, you can. [Laugh].