Ghostface, the monster from Scream, was spotted in the wild across the United States, wreaking havoc and prompting panicked phone calls to police.
Before the March 10 release of Scream 6, starring Jenna Ortega, Courteney Cox, and Hayden Panettiere, it appears that studio officials went all out to promote the slasher sequel, even hiring an anonymous person to go around costumed as a serial killer.
I’m not kidding.
Pictures on social media have emerged of ‘Ghostface’ presumably going about their business while disturbing neighbours in Sonoma, California.
According to Variety, similar figures have been spotted in New Orleans and St. Louis in the days leading up to the film’s debut.
Residents, however, were not pleased with the relocation, and when they noticed them, they promptly called the cops.
Members of the Sonoma Police Department published a statement on the department’s official Facebook page, assuring frightened followers that nothing untoward was going on.
‘This morning our dispatch centre got many calls for assistance reporting an individual standing at 1st St. E/E Napa St dressed in an SCREAM costume,’ according to the post.
‘This guy was contacted and employed by a business affiliated with Paramount to advertise the new SCREAM film.
‘Thank you for your concern; it has been addressed.’
Sonoma is well-versed in all things Ghostface because certain sequences from the original Scream film, released in 1996, were shot in the area.
The sixth installment of the franchise will be published next week, with sisters Sam and Tara Carpenter (played by Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, respectively) leaving Woodsboro for a new life in New York.
Of course, their history comes back to haunt them when someone dressed as Ghostface begins tormenting them across the city.
They are joined by Gale Weathers (Courteney), who has her own morning show in New York between films, Kirby Reed (Hayden), and a slew of new characters.
Courteney says that things are much more nasty and vicious this time around, shedding insight on what horror fans may anticipate from Scream 6.
‘They just keep elevating it… They amped it up in every way,’ she told Entertainment Tonight. ‘The writers are incredible and it’s so scary.
‘There are more stabbings per person than I’ve ever seen. And they found some new places to get stabbed.
‘I don’t know how Ghostface’s arm didn’t fall off. I’ve never seen more stabbings… It was unbelievable.’
Scream 6 is released in cinemas on March 10.