‘Scream 7’ Tested a Different, More Audacious Ending

The lead-up to the release of Scream 7 was disappointing, to say the least. The departure of Jenna Ortega, the firing of Melissa Barrera, a director’s exit, and more. But Neve Campbell came back. Kevin Williamson came back. And, in arguably the most exciting part of the pre-release hype, Matthew Lillard came back.

Lillard’s return was never officially confirmed before release, though his voice was heard in the trailers. And now that the film is out, we know not only that Lillard is back, but also that he plays a key role in the film. What we didn’t know was that before the film was released, the role was a little different and, frankly, kind of shocking. Spoilers follow.

If you’ve seen or read about Scream 7, you know that Matthew Lillard’s character, Stu, returns in the film. Sort of. He only appears on screens, so the characters are unsure if he’s actually alive or not. We all watched him die 30 years ago in the original film, after all. Well, at the end of the movie, we learn that Stu was just an AI creation of the real killers, played by Anna Camp and Ethan Embry. We go into more detail in this piece.

So Stu is dead, and his likeness was used by AI to cover for the new killers. But, in a new interview, Scream 7 co-writer and director Kevin Williamson revealed that they not only toyed with the idea of Stu actually being alive, but they also filmed a scene that confirmed it. “[Co-writer Guy Busick] wrote all the AI stuff,†Williamson told Esquire.

“The first time I read it, I was like, ‘How is this going to work? How is he going to be alive?’ Furthermore, if it is AI, will part of the audience be disappointed that he’s not real? We were playing that game. And I’d be lying if I said we didn’t shoot it both ways.â€

The reporter then asked Williamson to clarify that last point: “Oh, really? There was an alternate ending where Stu really is alive?â€

“[Nods.] We shot a little coda at the end that we had in our back pocket,†the director said. “But oddly enough, the decision was that the audience wanted him dead.†Williamson then confirmed that test audiences saw the “little coda†of Stu being alive but didn’t like it.

“It makes more sense [if he’s dead,]†Williamson said. ‘It’s more real. If he’s alive, that’s a big stretch. We live in a world now where with fake AI, we know that’s possible.â€

While Williamson is right that Stu somehow being able to fake his death and stay incognito for 30 years is not as believable as him just being dead, it’s the movies. We aren’t here for belief. We’re here to be entertained. Test audiences are there to give their honest opinions, but sometimes, you just have to believe in the choice, be bold, and go for it.

Also, if you read between the lines, it sure sounds like he’s saying the film played out exactly the way it does now and then revealed Stu to be alive at the very end, setting him up for the future. We wonder if that’s actually the implication or not.

Either way, what’s done is done. Scream 7 is in theaters, and Stu is dead. Would you have preferred that not be the case? Let us know below. And read more from Williamson over at Esquire.

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