Scream VI‘s Ghostface killer has been reimagined in a brand new anime short film. The slasher sequel follows the previous film’s survivors from the sleepy town of Woodsboro to New York City. In the Big Apple, a brand-new character dons the mask and cloak of Ghostface and attempts to hunt down sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega), forcing them to take stock of their friends, new and old, to discover the killer’s true identity. The movie also features franchise stalwart Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Scream 4 survivor Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere).
To tie in with Scream VI‘s release, animator David Liu shared a new short film reimagining Ghostface in a classic anime style.
The video, which was retweeted by the official Scream account, follows a young woman who is at home alone when the Ghostface killer arrives to terrorize her. The video uses some classic anime stylization to make the killer even more nimble and capable while still capturing the essence of the live-action killer.
Ghostface Is One Of Horror’s Most Iconic Villains For A Reason
Although this short film presents the killer in an entirely different format, Ghostface is still inherently recognizable. This goes far beyond the creepy mask donned by the killer. Liu managed to capture certain details like the killer’s penchant for wiping blood off a hunting knife.
This short exposes that the essence of Ghostface goes way beyond a single movie or medium. The way that the character is both incredibly specific yet malleable is the reason it has endured for so long in the pop culture consciousness. All of this comes down to the fact that the original Scream screenwriter, Kevin Williamson, decided to craft his slasher as a whodunit.
The iconic M.O. of Ghostface, including creepy phone calls using a voice modulator and wearing a mask and cloak, is inherently replicable. This means that the killer can keep coming back and retain a similar, recognizable atmosphere without violating the rules of the universe or extending any one particular Ghostface’s lease on life for a ludicrously long time. Scream VI also uses the character’s familiar presence to highlight that this particular killer has a very different and threatening approach.
Source: David Liu/Twitter