Cam Smash 
“Scream VI,” the latest entry in the iconic horror movie franchise originally directed by Wes Craven, won’t be released in theaters until next Friday. But earlier this week, residents of Sonoma got an unexpected sneak preview.
An individual wearing the same costume as the film’s villain, Ghostface, appeared on the southeast corner of Sonoma Plaza around 7:30 a.m. on Monday, causing the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office to become flooded with phone calls. The individual was there for at least an hour, according to the sheriff’s office and representatives from Visit Sonoma, whose webcams captured footage of them standing eerily still in the rain before they slowly stalked toward a lamppost and prowled through a crosswalk, their black cloak fluttering behind them.
“The phone lines blew up, and there were tons and tons of calls from concerned citizens,” Robert Dillion, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, told SFGATE on Thursday. “It took a number of resources to field all of the phone calls that came in.”
Webcam footage captured by Visit Sonoma on Monday morning shows an individual in a Ghostface costume lurking on the southeast corner of Sonoma Plaza.
Visit Sonoma www.visitsonoma.comDillion said that once deputies arrived on the scene and made contact with the individual, they learned it was part of a publicity stunt from Paramount Pictures for the upcoming movie. The individual, whose identity was not revealed by the sheriff’s office, left shortly after and was not charged with any crimes.
Dillion said he attempted to contact Paramount Pictures at least three times but did not get a response.
“It absolutely has potential for being concerning to the public with everything going on these days,” he said. “You’re never really sure what’s real and what’s not. My only request is that we would have been contacted and aware of what was going on so we would have been prepared to let people know it wasn’t as it seemed.”
SFGATE also reached out to Paramount Pictures but did not hear back by publication time. However, the official Twitter account for Ghostface seemed to confirm the film production company’s involvement with the appearances on Thursday afternoon as other sightings were reported in New Orleans and St. Louis in the days leading up to “Scream VI’s” release.
“I’m watching you,” Ghostface said.
A spokesperson for Visit Sonoma said the costumed individual seemed to know exactly where the organization’s cameras were stationed and noted that they were standing just a couple of blocks away from the Sonoma Community Center, which stood in as Woodsboro High School in the original “Scream” movie when it was filmed about 26 years ago.
“One of my friends who has an office on Sonoma Square told me to check the cameras, and I was totally freaked out. I thought it was so creepy,” said the spokesperson, who declined to share their name.
Webcam footage captured by Visit Sonoma on Monday morning shows an individual in a Ghostface costume lurking on the southeast corner of Sonoma Plaza.
Visit Sonoma www.visitsonoma.comIronically enough, the new “Scream” film follows the survivors of the Ghostface murders as they leave Woodsboro behind for a fresh start in New York City. But the spokesperson for Visit Sonoma doesn’t think Ghostface is ready to leave Northern California just yet.
“I’m waiting for the return,” the spokesperson said with a laugh. “I don’t think this is the last time we’ll see him.”
