It looks like Scream VI is aiming to score big. The US previews on Thursdays grossed over $5.7M, higher than what the previous installment scored last year. It’s expected to get the biggest opening of the franchise with around $40M over the weekend (a possible $50M gross is possible).

Critically speaking, this new sequel seems to be garnering positive reviews with many praising Hayden Panettiere’s comeback as Kirby Reed and the overall darkness and bloodiness of the sequel. It averaged a 62/100 on Metacritic (from 44 reviews) and a 79% approval from RottenTomatoes (with 179 reviews).

Scream VI is already drawing blood at the box office, where it earned $5.7 million in Thursday previews from 3,125 theaters a separate special fan event.

That compares to $3.5 million in previews for last year’s Scream, and the $5.5 million in previews for last weekend’s Creed III.

Scream VI expands into a total of 3,675 cinemas today and should post a series-best domestic debut of at least $35 million over Oscar weekend for Paramount and Spyglass.

The last Scream film, released in January 2022, opened to $30 million domestically in an impressive showing for the pandemic era. The biggest North American start of the franchise belongs to 2000’s Scream 3 ($34.7 million), not adjusted for inflation.

Scream VI, which cost a reported $35 million to make before marketing, follows survivors of last year’s installment as they leave Woodsboro for New York City. Unfortunately, the menacing killer Ghostface isn’t far behind. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who run Radio Silence Productions with Chad Villella, returned to direct.

source: Hollywood Reporter