Courteney Cox, who plays Gale in the Scream saga, thought her character was dead… but Kirby Reed, played by Hayden Panettiere, is back in Scream VI.
Stabbed by Ghostface in the fourth film of the saga, the character did return in the sixth installment. A young woman turned FBI agent helps new characters Samantha (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega).
But this return is not due to the directors… in the show Good morning AmericaHayden Panettiere actually announced that he was the one who called the directors to pitch the idea of bringing Kirby back.
The 33-year-old actress, who took a four-year hiatus from her career after suffering from postpartum depression, explains:I had to take four years off to work on myself – mental health, physical health, spiritual health. And I didn’t know what to do next“.
Hayden Panettiere
When the latter learned that the Scream saga was about to return to the big screen, he contacted filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillette to propose the idea of bringing their character back. The Heroes actor explains that the possibility of reprising Kirby’s role was already mentioned in the fifth film, but did not immediately materialize.
“I could be of use!”
“Whenever Scream 5 It was announced, I thought, “I want to be in it again,” because I was hoping Kirby was still alive. I wanted him back and I called him while they were making Scream 5 and said, “Without me? Wait. I might still be alive and use it.”.
He adds: “We’ve seen Kirby get stabbed, but we’ve never seen him die. We have not seen him saved either. He went through that trauma and it changed him. This is something I can relate to today“.
So the directors decided to bring the character back and reintegrate him into the franchise.
Tyler Gillette explains to us that the idea of him returning for Scream 5 wasn’t strong enough. Because of this, the filmmakers decided to wait and bring her back in Scream VI with a bigger role. “Kirby is one of our favorite characters and we wanted to pay tribute to him. So we decided to wait and make his return much more impactful in the next film. “
In Scream VI, Samantha, Tara, Mindy (Jasmine Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding) have left Woodsboro and are now living in New York. When Ghostface makes his big comeback, they’re aided by Detective Bailey, played by Dermot Mulroney, Kirby, who became an FBI agent after surviving a masked killer, and Gail (Courteney Cox).
Scream VI hits theaters this Wednesday.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
