Another box office slay for Ghostface. “Scream VI” will cross $100 million in domestic ticket sales on Thursday. It’s the first installment in the long-running slasher series to hit the coveted milestone in 26 years, since 1997’s “Scream 2” ended its theatrical run with $101 million.

In the coming days, “Scream VI” will overtake the original 1996 “Scream” ($103 million) as the highest-grossing entry in North America, not adjusted for inflation.

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Paramount and Spyglass brought the sixth chapter to the big screen in March, crushing franchise records with its $44.5 million debut. “Scream VI” has also collected $56.25 million at the international box office, bringing its global tally to $156 million. The first “Scream” still stands as the biggest worldwide earner of the bunch with $173 million, followed by the sequel with $172 million.

The latest installment cost $35 million to produce, marking another theatrical winner for Paramount. In the last 12 months, five of the studio’s movies — including “The Lost City,” “Smile” and “Top Gun: Maverick” — have grossed $100 million or more at the domestic box office.

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, “Scream VI” follows survivors of Ghostface’s murders as they leave Woodsboro behind for a fresh start in New York City. Courteney Cox, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega and Hayden Panettiere star in the film, which is the first installment without Neve Campbell’s perennial scream queen Sidney Prescott. She didn’t reprise her role due to disputes over her salary.

“Scream VI” benefitted from positive reviews and horror’s enduring box office popularity. Executives cleverly promoted the film by sending the franchise’s notorious slasher Ghostface to ominously stand around U.S. landmarks. The stunt was so believable, some disturbed onlookers called the police after spotting the knife-wielding masked murderer in the flesh.

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Originally published April 6, 2023, 2:09 PM