Scream 7

Scream 7
Directed by	Kevin Williamson
Produced by	James Vanderbilt Paul Neinstein William Sherak Matt Bettinelli-Olpin Tyler Gillett
Written by	Guy Busick Kevin Williamson James Vanderbilt
Starring	Neve Campbell Courteney Cox Joel McHale Isabel May Mason Gooding Jasmin Savoy Brown Celeste O'Connor Asa Germann McKenna Grace Sam Rechner Anna Camp Mark Consuelos Ethan Embry David Arquette Scott Foley Matthew Lillard
Music by	Marco Beltrami
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. It will be a new relaunch of the franchise after the previous two Radio Silence movies, with a creative reboot and a renewed focus on the legacy characters. 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 has no half of the 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.

On October 1, 2024, it was confirmed that the film would be released on February 27, 2026. Filming began on January 7, 2025 and concluded on March 12, 2025.

Plot

When a new Ghostface killer emerges in the quiet town where Sidney Prescott has built a new life, her darkest fears are realized as her daughter becomes the next target. Determined to protect her family, Sidney must face the horrors of her past to put an end to the bloodshed once and for all.

Cast & Characters

• Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott
• Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers
• Joel McHale as Mark Evans
• Isabel May as Tatum Evans
• Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin
• Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin
• Celeste O'Connor
• Asa Germann
• McKenna Grace
• Sam Rechner
• Anna Camp
• Mark Consuelos as Robbie Rivers
• Ethan Embry
• David Arquette as Dewey Riley
• Scott Foley as Roman Bridger
• Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher
• Michelle Randolph
• Jimmy Tatro
• Tim Simons

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 6, 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 prior, in December 2023, after toxic behavior and threats from some of Barrera's stans.

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". Landon faced inadequate online activity from users posing as Barrera fans, and experienced insults and threats against himself and his family from them, despite the fact that he had nothing to do with Barrera's firing and the studio's decisions.

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".

Casting

On November 21, 2024, it was announced that Isabel May will play one of Sidney's daughters, Tatum Evand. Courteney Cox's return as Gale Weathers has also been officially confirmed. On December 2, Celeste O'Connor joined the cast. On December 6, it was also reported that Asa Germann joined the cast. On December 12, it was announced that McKenna Grace will be in the film, confirming early rumors of her involvement in the project. On December 13, it was announced that The Fabelmans star Sam Rechner has been cast in the movie. On December 16, it was revealed that Mason Gooding will reprise his role as Chad Meeks-Martin in Scream 7. He's the only character from the so-called "Core Four" group who will be in the movie. On December 17, it was announced that Anna Camp had joined the cast. On December 18, Courteney Cox's comeback was officially announced. This was known already, but it was not directly confirmed by media before. On January 16, it was officially announced that Joel McHale had landed the role and would play Mark Evans, Sidney's husband. This officially and definitively signaled that Patrick Dempsey would not return to reprise the role of Mark Kincaid, because his talks with the studio were unsuccessful. On the same day it was announced that Jasmin Savoy Brown will return to the role of Mindy Meeks-Martin, joining the cast alongside her on-screen brother Mason Gooding. On January 28, 2025, it was revealed that Mark Consuelos has gotten the role. On January 30, it was announced that both Scott Foley and Matthew Lillard had signed on to the movie. It is expected that they will reprise the roles of Roman Bridger and Stu Maсher respectively (in one form or another). On February 3, it was announced that Ethan Embry had joined the cast. On March 4, David Arquette's return as Dewey Riley was officially confirmed. This marks the return of all the actors from the Original Trio to the project after the absence of Cambpell and Arquette in Scream VI. On March 10, it was announced that Michelle Randolph and Jimmy Tatro had joined the cast. On October 30th, it was announced that actor Tim Simons would also be cast in an undisclosed role.

Start of filming

Filming on the movie officially began on January 8. At the same time, Kevin Williamson made a post in his Instagram in favor of this event: "I’m not supposed to post about Scream and I hope @spyglassmediagr and @paramountpics will forgive me but when you have one of the best days of your life it’s really hard to keep it to yourself. What an extraordinary day I had working with an amazing and talented cast and crew. They brought their ‘A’ game and had my back every step of the way. I’m so very grateful for this opportunity and to Wes Craven who was on my mind through it all. The profound impact he has had on my life and career is endless. What a day! I can’t wait for tomorrow! #scream7".

Gallery

Scream 7 has a Photo Gallery.

Notes and Trivia

• The film was officially announced in August 2023 (on Wes Craven's birthday) with previous 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”.
• During an interview on The Today Show, Patrick Dempsey discussed his expected return to the role of Mark Kincaid in Scream 7:
  • “I’m waiting on the script. There has been a conversation about it. I haven’t seen anything yet. So, we’ll see what happens”.
    • Unfortunately, despite the original plans and fan expectations, Dempsey will not reprise his role as Kincaid, as his lengthy talks with the studio were unsuccessful. Because of this, Mark Kincaid had to be replaced by a new character, Mark Evans, played by Joel McHale. Since Kincaid's last name was not mentioned in Scream (2022) or Scream VI, this allowed the identity of SIdney's previously unseen husband to be revisited.
• Mason Gooding shares his thoughts on Scream 7:
  • About Ghostface in the movie: “It feels like an amplification of what’s came before, and there’s no better indication of that than Kevin Williamson, who wrote the original, coming back now to direct,” Gooding told me Tuesday at the Los Angeles premiere of “Heart Eyes.” I think that Ghostface is absolutely the most brutal he’s been. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there’s some stuff that they do to the human body that I feel like Kevin is breaking new ground with. There was a prosthetic that sat in the makeup trailer that actually turned my stomach over. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you see it, but it’s incredible stuff. They really have an incredible effects team over there and they’re working overtime.”
  • About working with Neve Campbell: “I get to work with Neve [in ‘Scream 7’], who I didn’t get a great opportunity to see and talk to on a personal level [on ‘Scream (2022)’]. So in this case, even just getting to be around her feels like I’m getting part of that history and I feel better for it”.
• Matthew Lillard about his long-awaited return to the franshise in Scream 7:
  • “I've been asked literally 1,000 times a day since the first movie ended if I'm coming back. And I'm happy to report I am. I come back as a fairy godmother. It’s gonna slay”.
• In an interview with Mark Consuelos, Scott Foley confirmed his return would be reprising his role as Roman Bridger and shared some details about it:
  • “I just had a conversation with Kevin Williamson, who wrote the first few ‘Screams’ and is directing this one. He wanted me to come back and play a small part. I was so excited to sort of revisit this character, even though he died in the first one [he appeared in].”
• Jasmin Savoy Brown about her involvement in Scream 7 and working with Kevin Williamson:
  • “Oh my God, it's a dream to get to work with Kevin. He is the kindest, most delightful person. I don't know if he would like me saying this, but he cries every day on set because he's so thrilled. This franchise started his career, and I am really honored to get to play his favorite character.”
• Scott Foley shared his impressions and experiences filming in Scream 7:
  • “The best! It’s so much fun, and I got to see Neve [Campbell] again and David Arquette again, and Kevin Williamson — who wrote the first one and put me in ‘Dawson’s Creek’, which was the first TV show he did years ago — he’s directing this one. And we had so much fun being on set. It was just great to be around people you love and know.”
• Michelle Randolph about her involvement in Scream 7 and her feelings about the franchise:
  • “I’ve seen every single ‘Scream’, so there was a lot of pressure to make sure we keep the audience happy. When it comes to a ‘Scream’ movie, it really is all about giving the fans what they expect — a blood and gore-filled movie that leans into the meta and doesn’t take itself as seriously as other titles in the genre might. I had a really redacted script at first… but then I was able to read it, and there were still certain parts that were left completely blank.”
• David Arquette revealed that the announcement of his return in Scream 7 was not originally meant to be leaked and should have been a surprise, and also shared his experience on set:
  • “It was. I mean, it was a spoiler. It wasn't supposed to be released. It was supposed to be a surprise. I'm not really supposed to talk about it too much, but Kevin Williamson was directing and that was a real thrill. And it's amazing to see him be able to have that opportunity and to get Neve [Campbell] back in this one. And Matthew [Lillard], I mean… It's exciting. He's [Williamson] just so obviously created this whole world, and to be able to see him have the opportunity to do that is really touching. I love playing the role of Dewey, and I'd do anything for the fans. I love the relationship it has with the fans.”
• Following David, Matthew Lillard revealed that the announcement of his return was not supposed to happen until the release of the movie's first trailer, but plans were meant to change to avoid leaks:
  • “I was definitely not supposed to be announced until the trailer. But I think that we were all pretty conscious of the fact that, you know, once you start saying 'Scream 7' shooting,'the people are going to start paying attention to the general area. So sneaking me in and sneaking me out would've been very difficult. So, eventually, we broke the news ourselves before I got a chance to leak. So, it is what it is. It's modern technology, and I don't think anyone was unduly surprised. I'll put it that way.”
• Marco Beltrami confirmed on his Instagram that he will be writing score for Scream 7 (he was previously the composer for all of Craven's first four films). However, this information has not yet been officially announced by other sources at this time.
• Screenwriter Guy Busick commented on Scream 7 and revealed some details about the plot:
  • “We were excited about what we had for that movie. We wanted to do one more ‘Core Four’ movie. We know the fans love those characters. We love those characters. We created those characters. I would love to see, in some universe, the continuation of their characters, in some way. But we weren’t able to port over the stuff from the other story. It was like, ‘Okay, here is what the universe dealt us.’ We always wanted to do a Sidney movie and so it was like, ‘All right, let’s get into it and why now and why this one? I don’t want to give anything away about the reason [‘Scream 7’] had to be a Sidney movie because there’s a really cool reason. In all these movies, you have to ask, ‘Why now? What is the thing ‘Scream’ is commenting on now?’ ‘Scream’ is always in a conversation with the audience about the state of movies, the state of horror movies and in particular, franchises. There is a really specific reason why Sidney is in this movie. I will say there is a reason and we were happy with it when we cracked it. “We went to Neve Campbell and said, ‘This is why. This is why Sidney now.’ Neve was like, ‘Oh, I get that.’ I pitched Kevin [Williamson] this first, too. He got it and then I pitched the studio. I came up with the story with my co-writer on [‘Scream’] 5 and 6, James Vanderbilt. I believe it was James that came up with it [involvement of the Meeks twins]. I want to give credit where credit is due, but it was an organic way why they would be in this movie. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say it’s through Gale. She’s the connective tissue in 5 and 6 and she’s in this. New York was obviously a big part of that. She bonded with those four and there’s a reason why these two come to this town where the action is happening.”
• Guy Busick also revealed that the film takes place about 2 years after the events of Scream VI:
  • “I don’t want to be the one to spoil where it is. It’s an unspecified amount of time [after VI]. I might get contradicted by other people, but in my mind, more than two years. I would say at least two years. It could be two years, but I would say two years plus.”
• Kevin Williamson explains why he's back to work for the franchise and about Neve Campbell's involvement:
  • “The company pitched it to me because they said, ‘This is going to be about Sidney Prescott. It needs to be about Sidney.’ That’s why I would want to do it. I do think there’s a world we haven’t tapped into — we’ve never gone home with her, who she is today, and we don’t know what her life is about. I want to know those things. There was this big thing about the pay discrepancy, but it was also about the part. It was like, ‘You want me to show up at the end of a movie with a gun and help everyone shoot Ghostface? That’s great. I’ll do it.’ She was happy, but she’d also wanted a part. Actresses want to play parts. So we were able to tap into that and find a way in. Working with Neve, we did it together. She was with me every step of the way, and she was so supportive and so helpful. She walked me through a lot of it. I hope it shows, but we had a blast.”
• Ethan Embry about his experience of participating in Scream 7 and the fact that he originally auditioned for the original film:
  • “The one thing that I can tell about Scream 7 was that it was absolutely incredible to be invited. That is a lovely community of people. From the very beginning to what it is now. And I’ve been wanting to be a part of that franchise since the very beginning. I remember auditioning for ‘Scream 1’. I can’t remember if it was for [Jamie] Kennedy or [Matthew] Lillard. It was one of those. But I remember not getting good feedback from Mr. Craven.”
• Anna Camp about her impressions during filming in Scream 7:
  • “I hadn’t seen the newest ones, but I remember the first one, which I’ve seen four times already. The other ones I had to really sit down and watch. It’s just fun. This one is going to be really great because it’s Sidney Prescott, an iconic character, and Neve Campbell, an iconic actress. It’s a coming home story for her. It’s returning to the original cast and the original format. Obviously, she’s grown up playing this role that she knows when the script is not right or if something doesn’t feel like what Sidney would say. Kevin Williamson directed this one, and he’s the mastermind behind the entire story. To watch their dialogue together and their shorthand, I was like, ‘I want that. I want a relationship like that with the director’.”
• Asa German about his participation in Scream 7:
  • "Being a part of the ‘Scream’ movies is really one of the coolest things I’ve gotten to do. Especially getting to join it right when Kevin Williamson — the creator — took over and has now stepped into direct the first one he’s ever done. Getting to do that with all of those incredible, iconic, amazing people was like a dream come true. I can just say with the utmost certainty that that movie is going to deliver across the board for any fan of the ‘Scream’ franchise."
• Hayden Panettiere's return as Kirby Reed was mentioned in an Entertainment Weekly article, but has not been confirmed or announced by other sources. However, in a later version of the article, her involvement in the film was disproved, and the mention in the text was deleted.
• The working title of the movie is “Scar Tissue”.
• The cinematographer is Tim Ives, known for his work on Stranger Things.
  • Ives was later replaced and his work was continued by Ramsey Nickell.
• According to leaks, one of the the movie's settings will take place in the fictional town Pine Grove, Indiana.
• The new sequel was wrapping up filming in Atlanta. This is the second time the franchise has filmed in Georgia, as the college campus shown in Scream 2 was in Decatur.
• 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”.
    • However, in late November, it was revealed that filming had been postponed again — it would take place from January 7 to March 12, 2025.
• It's implied that the new movie will be another relaunch of the franchise (with an emphasis on the original or new characters).

External Links

• Scream 7 at the Internet Movie Database
• Scream 7 at Wikipedia