This original Scream star thinks the sequels have become 'too violent'

Scream has proven to be one of the must durable franchises in all of horror. The films have always benefitted from being smarter than the average slasher, being equal parts homage and self-aware parody, and it has resulted in consistent box office as well as critical acclaim.

The last two installments in the Scream franchise have represented a soft reboot approach, with the story focusing on a new group of characters taking over for the original ensemble. One of these OG stars, Matthew Lillard, is less than thrilled, however, with the direction the franchise has taken.

Matthew Lillard didn't like Ghostface using a gun

Lillard, a scene-stealer in the original Scream (1996), recently told GamesRadar+ that he believes the franchise has turned to violence as a crutch in the last two films. It's no coincidence that the last two are the only films not directed by Scream co-creator Wes Craven.

Lillard, who died a gruesome death as the character Stu, feels that the notion of a Ghostface Killer wielding a shotgun and resorting to extreme violence to take out their victims is taking away from the appeal of the original Scream premise:

"I thought the movie got too violent. I think 6 was, like... I don't think Ghostface ever needs a shotgun."

The actor also went on to assert that the fifth and sixth films in the franchise have relied a bit too heavily on the story beats of the original. "I think that the movies are – everything is trying to repeat what we did in the first movie in a lot of ways," he noted.

The actor wants Scream to return to its roots

Lillard had kind words for the creative duo behind these films, Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, but he told the outlet that he was ultimately happy to see the franchise wind up back in the hands of original screenwriter Kevin Williamson for the upcoming seventh film.

The actor, who has played coy about the possibility of returning (we have no clue how his character would still be alive), voiced his desire to see Scream return to its roots. "I hope that Kevin takes it in a brand new, brave, and exciting direction so that we can sort of find different colors and different joys," he concluded.

Scream 7 has been through various production setbacks, like the firing of Melissa Barrera and the exit of Jenna Ortega, so it'll be interesting to see how Williamson manages to balance the tone of the last two films with the preceding quadrology.