Scream 2022's Freddy Krueger Easter Egg Sets Up A Scream 6 Twist
Scream 2022 follows a franchise tradition by including several A Nightmare on Elm Street Easter eggs, but can Scream 6 take Freddy Krueger further?
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Scream 2022.
Radio Silence's Scream 2022 contains several slick Freddy Krueger Easter eggs that set up a Scream 6 twist. First released on January 14th, 2022, Scream 2022 has garnered a highly positive critical reception, with many praising the film's tongue-in-cheek meta-horror commentary alongside a strong set of character performances. In particular, Scream 2022 pays tribute in several ways to the late Wes Craven, who directed the first four Scream installments, including nods to his other seminal works in the horror genre.
Aside from naming Dylan Minnette's character after the director and producing the poignant "For Wes" banner at the end of the film, Scream 2022 also acknowledges Craven's work on another iconic horror franchise: A Nightmare on Elm Street. These tributes manifest in two distinct nods, with the first being an "Elm Street" sign which Richie (Jack Quaid) and Sam (Melissa Barrera) opt not to drive down. The second and larger of the two Craven-verse nods arrives at the end of the movie, with Amber's (Mikey Madison) burns replicating Freddy Krueger's hideous visage directly referencing the supernatural slasher.
As a result, Scream 2022's Freddy Krueger Easter eggs set up a potentially groundbreaking Scream 6 twist. Scream 2022 certainly pushes the envelope in terms of meta-horror, centering on a largely self-referential narrative deeply rooted by Wes Craven's other horror creations. Scream 6, therefore, should go one further and bring other Craven-verse entities into play, such as reviving Amber to torment the surviving characters in Krueger-Esque way alongside Ghostface.
Madison's Freddy Krueger-style burns and the Elm Street signpost are just two references in a long line dating back to the original Scream movie. In Scream 1996, for example, Wes Craven makes a cameo as Woodsboro High's janitor Fred, dressed as Freddy Krueger in the iconic red striped sweater, while Sidney Prescott's childhood home is also located on Elm Street. In this way, the Scream franchise appears very keen to include A Nightmare on Elm Street nods at will, making Scream 6's deeper dalliance with the Craven-verse a far from implausible idea.
The end of Scream 2022 sees Ghostface's surviving victims pledge to move away from Woodsboro, opening up the opportunity for new ideas to come into play for the franchise. Scream 6, therefore, could foreseeably double down on its Craven-verse stance and include a horrific version of Freddy Krueger via Amber's return, with the character's facial burns already a visceral Easter egg for Kruger's horror legacy. The idea of Ghostface and the franchise's own Krueger imitation working together appears scintillating and would breathe additional impetus into the rebooted franchise following Scream 2022's careful symmetry with Wes Craven's original 1996 movie.
It must also be said that the poignant tributes to Wes Craven and his legacy should not end with Scream 2022. Scream franchise stalwarts such as Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette have all stated that the success of Scream would not have been possible without Craven's expert direction, meaning Easter eggs that celebrate his other works in Scream 6 should be continued. Scream 2022's A Nightmare on Elm Street Easter eggs are subtle and clever, but Scream 6 should dive deeper into the Craven-verse and introduce their own version of Freddy Krueger.