Scream 7

Scream 7
Directed by	Kevin Williamson
Produced by	Matt Bettinelli-Olpin Tyler Gillett
Written by	Guy Busick James Vanderbilt
Starring	Neve Campbell
Music by	TBA
Distributed by	Spyglass Media Group Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	February 27, 2026
Running time
Language	English
Budget
Gross revenue
Preceded by	Scream VI
Followed by

Scream 7 is an upcoming slasher film that was officially announced to be in development on August 3rd, 2023. The film serves as a sequel to Scream VI. It also serves as the seventh installment in the Scream franchise. This is the first movie in the franchise to be directed by Kevin Williamson.

It also has no leading actors from the previous film, following the controversial dismissal of Melissa Barrera, and the subsequent departure of co-leading actress Jenna Ortega following Barrera's firing.

Filming is set to begin in December 2024. On October 1, 2024, it was confirmed that the film would be released on February 27, 2026.

Plot

TO BE ADDED

Cast & Characters

• Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott
• Roger L. Jackson as the voice of Ghostface

In talks

• Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers

Rumored Cast

• Patrick Dempsey as Mark Kincaid
• Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed
• Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin
• Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin
• Josh Segarra as Danny Brackett
• David Arquette as Dewey Riley

Production

Development

In interviews conducted for Scream VI, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett revealed that they have hopes that Neve Campbell would return in the "future" and that conversations with her have happened. On March 6th, 2022, ScreenGeek confirmed that a seventh film had officially been greenlit. Production is set to begin in 2023, with Paramount Pictures hoping to have the same turnaround time as Scream VI.

In August 2023, Christopher Landon was confirmed as director of Scream 7.

Barrera Dismissal and Backlash

In November 2023, Melissa Barrera was "quietly dropped" from the project due to comments posted on social media made in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war in support of Palestinian relief.

Less than 24 hours later, it was announced Jenna Ortega would not return either, with scheduling conflicts for Wednesday cited as the official reason. This will be the first movie in the new branch of the franchise (after Scream 4 (2011)) that does not feature the Carpenter sisters in the lead roles.

The decision to dismiss Barrera sparked fan backlash, with threats of boycotting the project. She received a waive of support from Scream fans, her co-star Ortega privately, and fellow actor Rowan Blanchard publicly. It has been compared to a waive of other dismissals in Hollywood for speaking out against the “genocide in Gaza", namely Maha Dakhil, Susan Sarandon, and more.

Christopher Landon, who is set to direct, wrote in a now-deleted post on X: “Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make". He later announced he exited the project weeks ago, in December 2023.

Christopher Landon's resignation as director

In December 23, Landon stepped down as director following the backlash and controversy surrounding Barrera's firing: "I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited Scream 7 weeks ago. This will disappoint some and delight others. It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart did break for everyone involved. Everyone. But it’s time to move on. I have nothing more to add to the conversation other than I hope Wes’ legacy thrives and lifts above the din of a divided world. What he and Kevin created is something amazing and I was honored to have even the briefest moment basking in their glow".

The return of Neve Campbell and Kevin Williamson as director

On March 12th, Neve Campbell officially announced her return as Sidney Prescott on her Instagram: "Hi All. I’m so excited to announce this news!!! Sidney Prescott is coming back!!!! It’s always been such a blast and an honor to get to play Sidney in the ‘Scream‘ movies. My appreciation for these films and for what they have meant to me, has never waned. I’m very happy and proud to say I’ve been asked, in the most respectful way, to bring Sidney back to the screen and I couldn’t be more thrilled!!! Well actually I could. While I’ve been so incredibly lucky to make these films with both the master of horror Wes Craven and the wonderfully talented Matt and Tyler team, I’ve dreamt for many years of how amazing it would be to make one of these movies with Kevin Williamson at the helm. And now it’s happening, Kevin Williamson is going to direct ‘Scream 7‘! This was his baby and it’s his brilliant mind that dreamt up this world. Kevin is not just an inspiration as an artist but has been a dear friend for many years. To the amazing ‘Scream‘ fans, I hope you are as excited as I am. See you on set @kevwilliamson".

At the same time, Kevin Williamson also spoke out on his Instagram."It’s been nearly 30 years since my very first script, Scream, was directed by the legendary Wes Craven. I never would have predicted what it would become. Or that I would be directing the seventh installment of the franchise. I am overcome with gratitude and excitement, and I can’t wait to take this journey with Neve and the entire Scream family as we bring back Sidney Prescott in the next chapter of the Scream franchise. Thank you to all the Scream fans. You are the gift that keeps giving".

Notes and Trivia

• The film was officially announced in August 2023 (on Wes Craven's birthday) with original directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett not returning to direct the third installment.
• Christopher Landon revealed in his interview with CRAVEN Something Scary that the seventh Scream will be a tribute to the entire franchise. It will be a way to bring together everything that the previous writers, who have given many tributes and spilled a lot of blood, have been able to do.
• In an interview at Monster Mania Con with fans, Neve Campbell spoke out about Scream VI, and once again admitted that she was disappointed with the decision to kill off Dewey Riley in the fifth movie.
  • About Scream VI: "I haven’t watched it until two weeks ago. I actually thought they did a really good job. I think the cast are really powerful, wonderful actors. I don’t wish these movies ill will. I wanted the movie to be good".
  • About Dewey's death: "I was so sad about Dewey’s death. I thought it was tragic and I don't usually like to criticize the writing in these projects. But I was really disappointed in their choice to get rid of David. Dewey's such a wonderful character, and I think we were all in love with him and I think we all felt pretty sad about that. Which of course is the reason they do it because it has more impact, but now I miss him. I want to see more of him".
• On January 13, Neve Campbell made it clear that she hasn't ruled out the possibility of her return to the franchise:
  • "I honestly don’t have no idea what their plans are. I know a lot has gone on around it and I’m sure they’re spinning a little bit at the moment. These movies mean a lot to us and they mean a lot to the fans. I go to these conventions sometimes and I meet  the fans and they’re frantic about these films. They love them. These films mean a lot to them and these characters mean a lot to them. So even for their sake, I would love to see it continue".
• Radio Silence explain their status as executive producers of Scream 7:
  • "They gave us that title as, I think, a thank you for being such an instrumental part in bringing that franchise back to audiences, but that is as far as our engagement goes".
• Neve Campbell on her return to Scream 7:
  • "I've lived with Sidney for 30 years, and I'm really, really grateful to get to go back to it. I'm really grateful that the studio heard me when I talked about pay discrepancy and when I talked about [Scream VI negotiations] not feeling respectful. When they first approached me [for Scream 7], I thought, ‘I don't know what respectful looks like to them. We might be in very different places.’ But they started out in a strong place, so that was lovely. It feels nice to have put that out into the world and to have been listened to and to have made a difference in that way. I hope other people get that opportunity too. I'm really excited that Kevin Williamson is going to direct. I think he's been wanting to do it for years and he deserves it. This is his baby. He's going to do a phenomenal job".
• David Arquette on his possible return to Scream 7:
  • About Kevin Williamson: “I mean I love working with Neve and Courteney. And just being able to play Dewey in any way. I love that Kevin Williamson's directing. I think it's really going to be special that he’s a part of it. I think he's gonna bring a lot of depth to it and make sure this group is really multidimensional”.
  • In response to a question from fans about his return or cameo: “I don't think so — I mean, I don't know! [laughs] I guess there's a chance, but I haven't gotten any calls or anything”.
    • Arquette also assured that Neve Campbell hasn't “spilled any tea” about the upcoming movie and he hasn't gotten any details yet.
• Neve Campbell on the importance of the franchise and Sidney's role in Scream 7:
  • “We’re going to follow Sidney. They did pitch the concept to me, and it’s the reason that I jumped on board. I love these movies, they are so much fun to be a part of, I’m so grateful for them, I could never have imagined being a part of a movie that would have lasted this many decades. The fandom is nuts, they are incredible and very passionate about these films. I’m excited to give them a new one!”
• Courteney Cox about her involvement in Scream 7 and wanting to bring David Arquette back as Dewey Riley:
  • About Dewey: “I understand the reasons they did it, but whoa!. Dewey is so loved by ‘Scream’ fans. They have to figure it out”.
  • About Kevin Williamson: “You can’t get better than that choice. It’s going to be fun”.
  • About her in Scream 7: “I’m not officially signed on. I’m not, but there will be a ‘Scream 7’. They’re rewriting all the time. It’s not like I don’t know what’s going on”.
• Prior to the news of Barrera's firing and Ortega's departure, filming was scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2024 with completion on April 19 in Montreal, Canada. As Variety noted, the release of the new installment should not be expected before 2025.
  • Filming was originally scheduled to begin in September, but on July 26, Neve Campbell announced that it would be moved to December:
    • “We were supposed to start in September, but we’re going to start in December now because of some scheduling stuff with Kevin and myself and having that all aligned. And actually, I think it’s a good thing, because we’re going to be able to have the time to get it really right. So I’m very excited about it”.
• It's possible that the new movie could be another relaunch of the franchise (with an emphasis on the original or new characters), which also means that the events of Scream (2022) and Scream VI will probably be ignored.
  • According to some fan speculation, the new movie could be a retcon of the previous two and the idea of a direct sequel to Scream 4 is being considered as one possibility. However, at this point, until official information is announced, these speculations should be treated with skepticism.