'Scream' season 3 renewal news: MTV greenlights third season but major changes made

MTV has handed out a third season renewal for "Scream." However, season 3 of the slasher horror series will be significantly shorter than the first two seasons and the show will be without its previous showrunners.

Deadline reports that the horror reboot will consist of just six episodes and will premiere sometime in 2017. The first season of "Scream" had 10 episodes. The episode count was slightly increased for season 2, which had 12. The mini third season will only be half as long as the previous season — a modification that has disappointed the show's fans.

In addition, MTV's TV adaptation of the hit teen movie franchise is again getting new showrunners. Season 2 showrunners Michael Fans and Richard Register, who took over from original showrunners Jill Blotevogel and Jaime Paglia, are reportedly out. The two called the shots when Blotevogel and Paglia stepped down at the end of the show's freshman run. No replacements for Fans and Register have been named.

Deadline notes that "Scream" has undergone a number of turnovers, beginning with the pilot script, which underwent a long development process. According to the outlet, Dan Dworkin and Jay Beattie were originally attached to write the script, but it was later rewritten by Blotevogel.

The series, which is based on the hit slasher film series of the same title, has built a substantial fanbase but has never really taken off ratings-wise. The show's viewership fell even more during the second season.

The news of the "Scream" season 3 renewal comes just as the MTV mystery is about to add a two-hour Halloween special to its season 2 order. The "Scream" Halloween special is expected to set the stage for the upcoming season and will reportedly pick up eight months after the arrest of Kieran (Amadeus Serafini), the season 2 killer.

Though the shortened season 3 order is currently fueling speculation that "Scream" is about to end, MTV has not confirmed that season 3 will be the show's last. According to The Hollywood Reporter, additional details about the upcoming season, such as casting and setting, will be announced at a later date. It also remains unclear if the series will take on an anthology model to reduce costs, as many have suggested.

The "Scream" Halloween special will air on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 9 p.m. EDT on MTV.