Scream’s Ghostface Mask Has An Eerily Perfect Origin Story

The origin story behind the mask worn by Scream’s Ghostface killer is an eerily perfect one. After 25 years, the Wes Craven teen slasher franchise still continues to make audiences jump, thanks in no small part to its black-robed killer whose distorted screaming ghost face mask has become a part of horror iconography. Though the killer(s) change from film to film, the costume they wear has always been the same – with the brief exception of the mask’s look in the rather short-lived TV adaptation of the franchise.

The character was first introduced to audiences via a telephone call in which a voice changer was used to create a gravelly, yet creepy tone that hid the killer’s identity. This affected voice has since gone on to make Ghostface instantly recognizable to fans, as the voice changer is a staple of every sequel and killer to have taken on the Ghostface legacy. Though Ghostface doesn’t wield any mysterious otherworldly powers like notorious horror movie killers such as Jason Vorhees, Pinhead, or Chucky, the character has managed to consistently intrigue audiences and fans simply through the power of being unknown and omnipresent. That being said, the design of Ghostface’s mask has proven to be a brilliant bit of horror movie lore.

Perhaps it’s due to the simplicity of Ghostface’s mask that few questions have been asked about it over the years. Unlike masks worn by Jason and Michael Myers, Ghostface’s mask seems like part of a costume that could be found in any store selling Halloween costumes. And, as Scream star Neve Campbell and creator Kevin Williamson explain in a new 25th anniversary behind-the-scenes featurette from IGN’s official YouTube channel, not only was the mask part of an actual Halloween costume, but it seemed to randomly find the producers:

“The Ghostface [mask] was in a box of stuff in a garage that we were location scouting. And we asked the owner if we could take it because Wes [Craven] immediately looked at it and said, ‘This is like the famous Scream painting.’ And so we took that to our production and we said, ‘Can you riff on this and see if you can make something like this?’ So they must have done 20 different designs and every one of them was rejected by the studio. And finally, we were like, ‘Why don’t we just get the rights to this mask?’ Because in the script, it did say it was a dime-store Halloween mask. And so that’s exactly what we found.”

It is quite strange that after being unable to come up with a suitable idea for the killer’s mask, Scream’s producers found the Ghostface mask in a box during a location scout. What’s more, the mask seemed to resist any attempt at redesigning it and ultimately, what was found in a box at a random location went on to become one of the most iconic horror props of all time. It’s this sort of simplicity that has helped to make the Scream franchise the success that it is. The franchise has long eschewed overly complex or convoluted plotlines (arguably with the exception of Scream 3) and even found leverage by mocking the monotony of so many other horror tropes. It seems that the sort of basic momentum that propels the franchise has been a part of it from its beginnings.

With the fifth Screaminstallment due to arrive in early 2022, it looks as though Ghostface will once again appear in the killer’s familiar disguise. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett have remained very tight-lipped about what the new sequel will bring, but one thing that has been repeatedly made clear is that the film represents a new era for the franchise. Thankfully, that new era doesn’t involve changing anything about Ghostface’s appearance – especially after the mask found its way so perfectly into the series.

Source: IGN

About The Author

Mike Jones
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Mike Jones is an author, screenwriter, world traveller and cinephile. His work has been featured in print and online in a variety of publications, and he’s also a Berlinale Talents alumnus. Cinema has always moved him in a big way and aside from having seen The Talented Mr Ripley more times than any other living person, he maintains a pretty darn healthy physical media collection. His favourite filmmakers include: Jordan Peele, David Lean, Alfred Hitchcock, Mike Leigh, Steven Spielberg, the Dardenne Brothers, Noah Baumbach, Michael Haneke, Barry Jenkins and Andrea Arnold. Often jet-lagged, Mike once turned down a certain A-list celebrity’s offer to join them for a night of partying after a strange encounter in an airport.

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