Would you survive a horror movie? How about six of them? The Scream franchise has made a name for itself as one of the most popular and iconic horror film franchises of all time. Scream I was released in 1996 to critical acclaim, mostly due to its meta-commentary on the horror genre and its memorable cast. Now, 27 years later, Scream VI has hit the silver screen with a brand new Gen Z cast — and it includes Devyn Nekoda.
You may recognize Nekoda from her role as Riley in the Netflix series, Ginny & Georgia, or her starring role as Arlene in Degrassi. Or, you might have seen her on Instagram posting about her (absolutely adorable) dog, G. But in Scream VI, Nekoda is making her blockbuster debut as Anika, the girlfriend of Mindy Meeks-Martin (played by Jasmin Savoy Brown). Set in New York City, the film follows a group of Gen Zers attempting to outrun a serial killer, Ghostface, on their decades-long reign of terror.
To learn about all things Scream VI, I talked to Nekoda to learn about her transition onto the big screen, what it was like joining a major film franchise, and — of course — if she would survive Ghostface IRL.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
I know you’ve been in shows like Degrassi and Ginny & Georgia before coming onto Scream VI. What was it like transitioning from that into the horror genre?
It was honestly a dream come true. I’ve never done [anything in the horror genre], so I was obviously very curious as to how it was all going to work. It was a huge shift for sure. A lot of the characters that I’ve played for most of my life have been younger, just fun and happy. So, to play a more mature character in a huge franchise like this, I was so excited when I got the news.
Was horror something that you always wanted to do?
Honestly, I’m open to doing anything. I just want to act, but horror was definitely on the bucket list. And now that I’ve done it, I don’t want to stop doing horror because I had so much fun. I never would’ve imagined that I would’ve been part of a franchise this huge. It was a huge honor.
Did you feel any kind of pressure joining a franchise big as Scream? How did you overcome it?
Totally. I was definitely nervous, but then I got there and I met everybody and I was like, “Oh, they’re super nice. Everyone is so chill. I’m freaking out for no reason.” I literally called my mom and I was like, “Mom, everyone here is so nice and normal.” And she’s like, “Yeah, I could have guessed that, Devyn. They’re people just like you.” I definitely hyped it up in my head way too much, but … they made being a part of something this big just super fun and easy.
Scream is definitely full of icons. I couldn’t even imagine working with Courtney Cox.
I didn’t actually get to meet her when we were filming. She had such a tight schedule and I was flying back and forth a lot to Montreal, so I actually just met her two days ago at the premiere. I was freaking out. She is so awesome [and] so nice. And we both have the same kind of dog, so I was like, “OK, I have something relatable that I can say to her when I meet her.”
How was that premiere? I loved your look.
Thank you so much. It was for sure the biggest premiere I’ve ever been to. Definitely the craziest 48 hours of my life. But again, it was so good to see everybody. We really are a huge family, and it was just a big party.
That’s so cool. Back to Scream: it’s known for the whole Final Girl Trope. In your opinion, what makes the ideal Final Girl?
Oh, what a good question. I think what makes the perfect Final Girl, obviously, is they have to survive. Definitely someone who is strong-willed, and you definitely have to be super intelligent. I think that’s the biggest thing. Just strong-headed, intelligent, and badass, honestly.
I love that. Do you think you have the chops to survive a horror film in real life?
As Devyn?
As Devyn.
Probably not. You know when you have a conversation, and the conversation ends, and you go back home and you’re like, “Oh, I should have said this, or I should have done this,” I feel like that would be me. If I had time, if I knew someone was out to get me, I would definitely prepare, take some self-defense classes. But if someone was just coming to murder me out of the blue, I’m dead. I’m done.
I couldn’t finish this conversation without slipping in a Scream reference: What’s your favorite scary movie?
Oh my gosh. I am a huge chicken, so [I] can’t say that I’ve seen that many in my time. Obviously, I’m going to go with Scream I because it’s just so iconic. And here we are so many years later, doing the sixth one. It’s a classic, so that’s definitely my favorite.