The enduring Scream franchise’s appeal lingers to such a degree that Drew Barrymore recently mused about her character somehow surviving being the first Ghostface victim. Can you imagine Casey making a come back at this stage after those injuries? She had to be trolling, but then again, we have seen Barrymore portray a zombie, and this is the second time this week that I’ve referenced Santa Clarita Diet in passing. That must mean that it’s time to cut the chit chat and hop into what we can expect from Scream 7.
Plot
Spyglass Media Group and Paramount Pictures have kept their lips zipped on the plot front, although we can infer from the extensive shuffling of directors (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett being replaced by Kevin Williamson) and cast (detailed below) that this installment should feel decidedly different than what arrived in the past few movies.
We do know that Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott is back in Final Girl form, and the Carpenter sisters are MIA. That last detail is down to Melissa Barrera being fired from Spyglass over (and this is an oversimplification of the issue) her social media postings on the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Then Jenna Ortega left the project for complex reasons, possibly due to salary issues or a scheduling conflict. So, there shall be no more Sam or Tara, which is awkward considering how much this franchise favors ongoing stories.
Yet although the plot remains a mystery, other than knowing that a Ghostface (or multiple Ghostfaces) will embark upon another killing spree, a script clearly exists with Neve Campbell teasing those goods on Instagram. Likewise, Campbell revealed to Indiewire that filming will begin in December. With that, let’s move onto more specifics on the casting front.
Cast
Heck, the surviving core four might not be present at all with both Barrera and Ortega gone and both Mason Gooding (Chad) and Jasmin Savoy Brown (Mindy Meeks-Martin) unconfirmed for Scream 7.
Who will definitely be back? Neve Campbell, obviously, following a high-profile salary dispute that left her feeling “undervalued.” Everything changed in March when Campbell announced that the only thing that could thrill her more about returning would be if Wes Craven was still alive and involved. Still, she “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.”
Likewise, Courteney Cox will return as Gail Weathers, and she told People that the world wants to see Deputy Dewey Riley (portrayed by David Arquette) to return, too, despite him dying in the fifth movie. “Dewey is so loved by Scream fans. They have to figure it out,” she insisted. Alright?
Additionally, Patrick Dempsey revealed (to TODAY via Entertainment Weekly) that he’s in talks to reprise his role as Sidney’s husband, Mark Kincaid, for the first time since Scream 3. He added, “I’m waiting on the script. There has been a conversation about it … so we’ll see what happens.” In other words, we’ve got more ambiguity.
Release Date
Mark your calendars for February 27, 2026.
Trailer
Since no trailer exists, and everybody remembers the most effective scenes (with Drew Barrymore and Rose McGowan) in the first film, we’re going to roll with recency bias and relive Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega’s bodega scene.
Additionally, watching the franchise nearly lose Courteney Cox’s Gail Weathers was a nail biter.