Sonia Ammar And Mikey Madison Talk Scream (2022) And The Film's Representation - Exclusive Interview

Hello? New "Scream," who dis? Ghostface is back and ready to rumble in the 2022 film "Scream." The movie pokes fun at the franchise's most meta moments by bearing the same name as the OG 1996 classic in what the series' characters dub a "requel." It's not quite a reboot, and it's not exactly a traditional sequel, yet lies somewhere in the middle of the two. The legacy cast we know and love comes back to duke it up with their old pal Ghosty, but the movie also introduces a new set of jaded teens.

While "Scream" is one of the most iconic horror franchises in history, it does tend to follow the toxic horror tropes of its time — like an almost all-white cast, immediately killing off and underutilizing Black characters, and falling into sexist stereotypes. To boot, there's hasn't been a single openly LGBTQ+ character in the series — until now. Without missing a beat, the new "Scream" boasts a wonderfully diverse and female-driven cast that defies some of the cringe tropes we've come to expect from the genre.

During an exclusive interview with Looper, Sonia Ammar (Liv McKenzie) and Mikey Madison (Amber Freeman) talked about working with the legacy "Scream" cast, the movie's meta self-awareness, and how "Scream" (2022) brings the franchise into the 21st century with proper representation.

Mikey, you have some great scenes with Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox. Were you a fan of the original franchise, and how does it feel getting to carve out your own space in Woodsboro and act alongside some of the series' icons?

Mikey Madison: I think all of us were so excited to work with Neve and Courteney and David [Arquette]. It was really exciting. [Looking at Sonia] I don't know, how do you feel?

Sonia Ammar: It's pretty insane. These are actors that we've seen on the screen so many times, and we've admired and kind of grown up watching [them]. To act with them, let alone just meet them, it was a crazy experience,  and I feel very grateful and humbled, and yeah, what a dream.

I love that this movie and the "Scream" franchise as a whole tackle the idea of this toxic obsession and [the] hero-worshiping of real serial killers. What are your thoughts on this concept, and how do you think "Scream" personifies it?

Madison: I think "Scream" has always been very self-aware, and the directors and writers wrote the movie in a really intelligent way. I think we really wanted the film to represent the real world that we live in within that Woodsboro universe.

Ammar: It's really cool to see how the script was written. It was really well-written, [including] the way it all intertwines together, like the legacy cast and the new cast and the story and all the fun Easter eggs, and also the reasons for certain things happening. It all makes sense in the end when you watch it, and it's mind-blowing. It was very witty and intelligent and fun and well done.

I also love that the Woodsboro women outnumber the men in this movie. Was it exciting for both of you to take on such a female-dominated movie, especially in the horror genre?

Madison: That was really exciting to me to be in a movie with such incredible, strong women and really strong female characters was really exciting to me. That's something that I want to hopefully do throughout my career.

Ammar: We love women, yeah. I think [it] was great that they included such badass, strong, cool female characters. Melissa's incredible in this film, and she's Latina, so that's great to have that. Yeah, I'm so excited.

Madison: Well, it was just great to be in a movie that represented the real world that we live in with queer characters and people of color. I think to ignore that is ridiculous.

Ammar: I agree with you.

"Scream" is now playing exclusively in theaters.