This article contains spoilers for the Scream franchise.In addition to thrills, kills, and an abundance of meta-commentary, theScreamfranchise is well-known for the many horror Easter eggs littered throughout its six slashers, soon to be seven with therelease ofScream VIIin early 202). Often, these allusions are directly referenced by the characters themselves, including Billy Loomis' use of pigs' blood fromCarrieor Randy’s near-constant name-dropping of horror classics likeHalloweenandFriday the 13th. However, there are plenty of Easter eggs that have slipped through the cracks over the years, with many of them truly giving credence to the phrase “blink-and-you-miss-it.”
For those dedicated fans who love nothing more than to scan theScreamfilms frame-by-frame to catch any and all references,these allusions and references will prove daunting even for you—save those responsible for their discovery. Indeed, with legacy charactersStu and Dewey confirmed to be returninginScream VII(with the possible reappearance of one other fan favorite), there’s no better time to take a look back at these hidden and obscure Easter eggs for fun, laughs, and potential insight into the fate of the franchise’s most beloved characters in the upcoming sequel.
10Wes Craven Is Dressed Like Freddy Krueger In Scream (1996)
The Late Horror Icon Paid Homage To His Most Popular Film (And Hitchcock)
Starting off easy, one of the better-known Easter eggs in the franchise comes from the film that started it all,Scream(1996). In the original,Screamdirector and horror legend Wes Craven makes a brief one-second appearanceas a cleaner dressed head-to-toe in the garb of the infamous killer fromA Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddy Krueger (except for Freddy’s signature bladed glove).
Through this fleeting cameo, Craven was able to connect his most popular horror series with what would become his longest-running franchise—all through donning a fedora and a red striped shirt.
However, the cherry on top comes when Principal Himbry (played by the iconic Henry Winkler) calls out to the disgruntled cleaner, referring to him simply as “Fred.” Through this fleeting cameo, Craven was able toconnect his most popular horror series with what would become his longest-running franchise—all through donning a fedora and a red striped shirt.
9In Scre4m, Sidney Pulls The Same Move As Laurie In Halloween
The Allusion Subtly Illustrates Sidney’s Similarities To Laurie
InScre4m, the franchise’s 2011 soft reboot, Sidney Prescott is once again thrown into the midst of a Ghostface rampage and must fight to protect her friends and survive. While there have always been intentional parallels between Sidney andHalloweenfinal girl Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), it wasn’t untilScre4mthat we got to see her emulate one of the resilient babysitter’s signature moves.
In the 1978 horror classic, Laurie throws a potted plant at a house window to wake up Tommy Doyle (Brian Andrews) as the murderous Michael Myers pursues her. In a stroke of genius, however,Scre4mflips the books on this scenario, instead havingSidney throw a potted plant through the front door window to save Olivia(Marielle Jaffe) from the Ghostface killer, highlighting her bravery while also tying her in with horror icon and fellow badass Laurie Strode.
8There’s A Split-Second Reference To Nightmare On Elm Street in Scream II
This Easter Egg Is One Of The Hardest To Find Without Pausing
The secondScreamfilm containsone of the craziest blink-and-you-miss-it references ever created in filmmaking, a feat quite notable for a franchise renowned for its less-than-subtle plotlines and characters. A recently-acquitted Cotton Weary confronts Sidney over a potential Diane Sawyer interview in her college library, which ultimately gets him arrested by the police. However, if you look closely at the bookshelf Sidney’s bodyguards pin Cotton against, you’ll see a large cream book titledOur Dreaming Mind.
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Our Dreaming Mindis a real book by psychologist Robert Van de Castledetailing the history of dreams and several prominent theories/experiments around the sleeping mind, and its placement inScream IIis a surefire nod to the iconic killer that hunts his victims in their dreams, Freddy Krueger. Unlike its predecessor,Scream IIdoesn’t contain the plethora ofA Nightmare on Elm Street references found in the original film, so this Easter egg is a rare and welcome inclusion.
7Tatum Is Dressed Like Glen From Nightmare On Elm Street
Her Outfit Is A Direct Reference To Johnny Depp’s Character
Another subtle nod toA Nightmare on Elm Streetcan be found in the originalScreamin one of Tatum Riley’s (Rose McGowan) outfits. In the second act of the film,Tatum can be seen wearing a white football jersey and red pants, an outfit eerily similar to the clothes Johnny Depp wore in his breakout role as Glen Lantz inA Nightmare on Elm Street.
While this simple outfit might initially appear to be an easy reference to the classic horror film,it actually subtly foreshadows Tatum’s death later in the film, since her outfit is the same one that Glen wears when he meets his incredibly bloody end at the knife-handed of Freddy Krueger.
6Scream VI References One Of The Most Iconic Friday The 13th Films
The Follow-up To Scream (2022) References One Of Jason’s Craziest Films
This one was really a no-brainer forScream VIdirectors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, who had the difficult task of crafting a follow-up toScream(2022), the bold series reboot thatcontains an Oscar-winning Ghostface.Scream VI’s Manhattan setting provided filmmakers with aperfect opportunity to reference another late-franchise film set in the Big Apple:Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan.
Scream VI’s Jason Voorhees Easter egg is another blink-and-you-miss-it reference which occurs at the beginning of the film. In the dorm room of Jason Carvey (played byThe Grand Budapest Hotel’s Tony Revolori),you’re able to see a scene fromJason Takes Manhattanplaying on the televisionin the background where Jason does what he does best—killing people.
5The Dream Sequence In Scream III References Salem’s Lot
Wes Craven Imitated One Of Stephen King’s Scariest Scenes
In addition to being the film with potentially the most meta-commentary in the franchise,Scream IIIis also notable for having one of the franchise’s few dream sequences (discounting Sam’s visions ofBilly Loomis inScream(2022)andScream VIthat partly redeemed his character). In the scene,Sidney Prescott sees her dead mother call her name from outside her window, eventually telling her that “everything she touches dies” before her dream ends.
This creepy sequence is a direct reference toSalem’s Lot, a Stephen King horror miniseries from 1979 that features a similar scene where one of the town’s missing kids named Ralphie Glick (Ronnie Scribner)floats to his big brother’s window and scratches until being let in. The entire scene is exceptionally haunting, and undoubtedly responsible for thousands of kids' nightmares in the late ’70s.
4There’s An Actual Elm Street Sign In Scream (2022)
This Easter Egg Holds Surprising Potential For The Franchise
The recent reboot to theScreamfranchise carried Wes Craven’s tradition of referencingA Nightmare On Elm Streetwith another blink-and-you-miss-it moment that holds surprising potential for potential world-building. InScream(2022), there’s a brief scene where Richie’s Prius drives past a roadwhose name we know all-too-well at this point: the titular, nightmarish Elm Street.
While this is a cute Easter egg onScream’s part, it could also make way for a sure-to-be iconic horror crossover in the manner ofAlien vs. Predatoror—more appropriately—Freddy vs. Jason. While it’s hard to see how Ghostface could stand a chance against the supernatural Freddy,it would nevertheless be wildly entertaining to see him trip and stumblein his battle against the malevolent dream-killer. Plus, there would be endless potential for meta jokes and commentary.
3Billy Loomis' Name Is A Callback To Previous Horror Classics
By Referencing Horror Cinema, Scream Recontextualizes The Genre’s Tropes
The name “Billy Loomis"holds a surprising history, likely captured by only the utmost horror fanatics. There are two notable examples of characters named “Loomis” in the horror genre prior toScream: one is Dr. Sam Loomis (played by character actors Donald Pleasence and Malcolm McDowell) from theHalloweenseries, a middle-aged psychiatrist who fervently hunts after his most disturbed patient, Michael Myers.
By pulling Billy’s name from two of the most important slasher films ever created,Screamscreenwriter Kevin Williamson directly links his film to the roots of horror cinema while also foreshadowing Billy’s deadlier side.
The second and more obscure example actually bears the same name as the first: Sam Loomis (John Gavin), the boyfriend of the ill-fated Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) in Alfred Hitchcock’sPsycho. By pulling Billy’s name from two of the most important slasher films ever created,Screamscreenwriter Kevin Williamson directly links his film to the roots of horror cinema while also foreshadowing Billy’s deadlier side. Furthermore, the fact that Billy got his name fromtwo characters also hints at the film’s dual Ghostface twist early on.
2Scream (2022) References A Top Horror YouTube Channel
By Referencing New Media, The Film Expands Its Scope Of Meta Commentary
“Dead Meat” is run by YouTuber James A. Janisse and his wife, Chelsea Rebecca, who also co-host a podcast aptly titled “The Dead Meat Podcast.“With James and Chelsea’s videos on theScreamfranchise generating millions of views, they were the perfect choice for the two podcasters inScream(2022) that discuss the fictional “Stab” film series based off the Woodsboro murders in the original film.
1The Original Exorcist Girl Makes A Brief Cameo In Scream (1996)
She Appears As A Reporter Outside Sidney’s School
Finally, the originalScreamfilm included an expert blink-and-you-miss-it Easter egg with its inclusion of Linda Blair, an actress who gained international fame in the ’70s for her role in the brutally-horrificThe Exorcist. During the scene where reporters swarm outside Woodsboro High,Blair makes a brief cameo as one of the reporters harassing Sidney.
Anyone who’s seenThe Exorcistis aware of the film’s lasting horror, which persists in the following days, weeks, and months of your first—and for many, only—viewing. Her inclusion, therefore, inScream(1996) not only acts as a fan callback to one of horror’s most renowned films: it also connects theScreamfranchise to a mythic lineage of horror icons,cementing itself as a modern classic against the backdrop of slasher filmsand greater horror cinema.
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Created by Kevin Williamson and originally helmed by Wes Craven, the Scream franchise takes a meta approach to the slasher horror franchise, centering on teenagers well-versed in the genre who find themselves hunted and killed by figures donning the Ghostface mask. The first four movies revolved around Neve Campbell’s Sydney Prescott as she frequently found herself the target of different Ghostface killers, while the fifth and sixth installments introduced new protagonists, sisters Tara and Sam, with their own dark past connected to the original Ghostface killer.
