The story of the franchise is a meta-fictional journey that revolutionized the horror genre by acknowledging and subverting traditional "slasher" tropes. Beginning in 1996, the series follows the life of Sidney Prescott (played by Neve Campbell) and her encounters with various killers who adopt the Ghostface persona. The Original Tragedy: Scream (1996)
: Set in New York City, the killers are revealed to be Richie’s family (his father and siblings), who seek vengeance against Sam for Richie's death. Scream YTS
: Set in Hollywood during the production of Stab 3 , the killer is Roman Bridger , Maureen Prescott's secret first child. He reveals he was the "mastermind" who originally pushed Billy Loomis to kill Maureen. The story of the franchise is a meta-fictional
The series saw a "requel" (reboot-sequel) in 2022 and 2023, shifting focus to , who is revealed to be the illegitimate daughter of original killer Billy Loomis . : Set in Hollywood during the production of
: In a shocking finale, it is revealed there are two killers : Sidney's boyfriend, Billy Loomis , and his best friend, Stu Macher . Billy reveals he killed Maureen Prescott after she had an affair with his father, which caused his mother to abandon him. Expanding the Legacy
As the franchise progressed, the motives became increasingly complex, often tied back to the original Woodsboro murders: