Scream 7 is about to hit theaters, and the air is thick with suspense—not just from Sidney Prescott’s next showdown with Ghostface but from a brewing legal storm. As we gear up for another heart-pounding chapter, there’s a behind-the-scenes drama unfolding over the very mask that haunts fans and characters alike. Tensions are rising in Hollywood as studios Paramount and Spyglass clash over who truly owns the rights to Ghostface’s iconic visage.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the stakes are high as Paramount and Spyglass are taking legal action against the SFX studio Alterian Ghost Factory. They argue that this preemptive strike is necessary to protect against claims of copyright infringement over the mask that has chilled audiences for three decades. The lawsuit claims Alterian has “intentionally slept on its purported rights” while watching the franchise thrive without lifting a finger.
The Ghostface mask was originally crafted for Halloween by Fun World in the early ’90s, and after being discovered by Scream producer Marianne Maddalena, it became a staple of the horror genre. Alterian contends it is the original creator of the design, asserting that Fun World acted unlawfully by licensing the final mask to Paramount. Meanwhile, Paramount believes Alterian lost any claim due to decades of inaction, painting the lawsuit as an outrageous cash grab intended to disrupt the upcoming release.
“[It] has never legally established that it owns the rights to the Ghostface mask, and it will not be able to prove it now in this litigation,” states Paramount’s complaint. The studio expresses frustration over Alterian’s attempt to derail the release of a film that has been in the making for years, branding it a desperate ploy.
Scream 7 is set to captivate audiences on February 27, but will this courtroom drama overshadow its arrival? The fight for Ghostface’s face may just ignite more suspense than the film itself.
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