Following the success of this year’s Scream 5 “requel,” another sequel was almost immediately greenlit. Scream 6 is one of the most anticipated horror sequels of 2023, with most of the survivors of Scream 5 returning for more Ghostface shenanigans. Legacy cast member Courteney Cox will return as the now-widowed newscaster Gale Weathers, and will be joined by returning cast members Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown. It was recently announced that rom-com veteran actor Dermot Mulroney and Henry Czemy have also joined the cast for the sequel, which, per Bleeding Cool, is currently in production.
While Neve Campbell won't return as ultimate final girl Sidney Prescott as a result of a pay dispute, it appears as though that role may be going to another legacy character this time around, in the form of Hayden Panettierre’s Kirby Reed. Panettierre originated the role of Kirby in 2011’s Scream 4 and was left for dead, following her run-in with one of the two killers, Charlie Walker (Rory Culkin). No one knew for sure if Kirby had indeed survived, until Scream 5 was released, featuring a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo that confirmed she had actually lived, though her whereabouts are never fully disclosed. Here’s why Hayden Panettierre’s Kirby Reed is the perfect character to return to the Scream franchise.
She Has a Score to Settle
In Scream 4, Kirby played the role of best friend to Emma Roberts' Jill Roberts, a cousin of Sidney Prescott. Growing up in Woodsboro with Jill, Kirby knew the stories of Ghostface and became increasingly intrigued about the murders as she got older. So much so that she became a bit of a horror movie buff, even using her knowledge to outwit Ghostface at one point in the film. While Kirby also was responsible for some funnier moments of Scream 4, the betrayal of her potential love interest Charlie was one of the more tragic events of the movie. As a survivor, she also no doubt discovered that her best friend was the other killer, responsible for ending the lives of their friends and Jill's own mother.
While we don't know the exact trajectory of her storyline in Scream 6, co-star Jenna Ortega has already stated in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that Kirby will return to the franchise in order to "redeem" herself. This is interesting phrasing, considering most viewers believe that she had died. It's easy to imagine that Kirby is living with a certain amount of survivor's guilt, similar to what Sidney experienced in Scream 2, and wants to do what she can to make up for that. Could it be that, especially after the events of Scream 5, Kirby now feels some sort of duty to put an end to the new Ghostface? Or, in the very least, look out for the new set of survivors from the previous film?
Her Character is a Blank Slate
While we have a pretty good idea about how the majority of Kirby's high school days were spent, the character has a ten-year gap that could fit perfectly into the plot for Scream 6. Aside from her actually surviving the events of Scream 4, this year's entry into the franchise didn't give us any indication of what kind of life she is living, or where. Did she change her name and relocate somewhere to live an entirely new life like Laurie Strode did Halloween: H20? We know that Sidney eventually used her trauma to become a self-help author in order to help others, so did Kirby follow in her footsteps? Have she and Sidney been in touch over the years? These are all elements of the character's story that could be manipulated to fit whatever the writers have planned for Scream 6.
Rumors have circulated that Kirby will possibly be a professor at the college some survivors of Scream 5 will be attending in New York City. However, no official plot details have been confirmed for any character in the upcoming sequel. It remains to be seen exactly what type of backstory they're going to give Kirby to fill in the blanks of the past decade, but it will surely tie into the lives of the Woodsboro survivors.
She Learned from the Best
While Kirby is certainly resourceful in her own right, it's only with the help of Sidney Prescott that she was able to survive as long as she did in Scream 4. Kirby is initially starstruck when meeting Sidney in the police conference room, but the two quickly learn to work together when they find themselves under siege in Jill's home. Sidney is the one who protects Jill and Kirby when Ghostface comes after them, following the death of Robbie (Erik Knudsen) in the front of the house. Also, Kirby had the knowledge to outwit Ghostface's trivia questions. Ultimately, it's Sidney's advice of, "If you can't trust him, don't open the door," when Charlie is supposedly in danger that works best in Kirby's favor.
There's no telling what other things Kirby may have learned from Sidney that night, in addition to the time between the fourth and fifth Scream filmf. Kirby teaming up with Gale similarly to the way Sidney and Gale teamed up in Scream 5 is very easy to imagine, especially given the characters' pasts together and the possibility of not having Sidney around this time.