Scream 6 Adds Dermot Mulroney As Potential Victim/Killer

Ghostface's pool of victims just got bigger: Dermot Mulroney is joining the cast of "Scream 6," per The Hollywood Reporter. The "My Best Friends Wedding" actor will play a police officer in the new installment, though further details about the character aren't immediately available.

We do know the next installment of "Scream" will take the survivors of Woodsboro's latest slaying out of the town itself, just as Sidney (Neve Campbell) left her bloodstained hometown after the events of Wes Craven's 1996 film. The new core cast includes resilient final girl Tara (Jenna Ortega), Billy Loomis' daughter Sam (Melissa Barrera), stoner horror geek Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown), and her charming jock brother Chad (Mason Gooding). All of the teens made it through a gruesome killing spree perpetrated by two of their loved ones in 2022's legacy sequel, so when Ghostface inevitably comes back, they'll be ready.

In thrilling news for franchise fans, "Scream 4" actress Hayden Panettiere is set to return for the new film as well, reprising her role as resourceful survivor Kirby. Gale Weathers actress Courteney Cox is also apparently on board for another round, while Campbell has yet to comment on whether or not she's set to return. Unfortunately, should the core crew of the original "Scream" series return, they'll undoubtedly be short a member. Beloved Ghostface-fighting veteran Dewey Riley (David Arquette) bit the bullet in the latest installment of the series.

Though Mulroney's role as a cop may initially raise the hackles of fans who had a soft spot in their hearts for Deputy Dewey, there are plenty of directions the new installment could take with the character. Aside from Dewey, the police in "Scream" movies tend to be useless at best, and stabbing practice for Ghostface at worst. There's also always the chance Mulroney will play the villain, although the large majority of "Scream" killers in the past have turned out to be teenagers themselves. I for one will be treating Mulroney's character the same way a seasoned fan should treat every new addition to a "Scream" movie: with suspicion.

"Scream 6" is set to film this summer, with a script from James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick. Vanderbilt and Busick penned the most recent installment of the series, and also co-wrote the bloody 2019 newlywed horror pic "Ready or Not." The filmmakers behind this year's "Scream" installment, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, will also be back to helm the new sequel. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are the first filmmakers to take on a "Scream" film since Craven's passing in 2015 and dedicated the latest movie to the beloved director.

"Scream 6" is currently set to open on March 31, 2023.