The Scream franchise has a long history of taking horror movie tropes and flipping them on their head, and they are doing it again by continuously producing an endless number of sequels years beyond its peak. It’s also known as the Friday The 13th Effect.
Scream first hit screens in 1996, followed by Scream 2 in 1997 and Scream 3 in 2000. A follow-up called (you guessed it!) Scream 4 hit theaters in 2011, which also happened to be the last film in the franchise that creator Wes Craven worked on. After a fresh reboot, the series returned in 2022 with Scream and 2023’s Scream 6 starring Gen Z icon Jenna Ortega along with Melissa Barrera, Mason Gooding, Hayden Panettiere, and Courtney Cox. Now that you’re all up to speed, here’s where things get a little dicey.
In August 2023, it was announced that horror director Christopher Landon would tackle the seventh installment, which was delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. Then, in November, Barrera was fired from the production due to her social media posts about the Israel-Hamas war where she was vocally supportive of Palestine. Landon posted (in a now-deleted post) said, “This is my statement: 💔 Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make.” Shortly after that, Ortega exited the film, though it was reportedly over shooting conflicts with Wednesday. Landon also exited the film in December.
After that, writers Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt scrambled to get production back on track by allowing Neve Campbell to return as Sidney Prescott for Scream 7. The actress did not appear in 2022’s Scream 6 after a salary dispute. At the time, the cast rallied around her with support. As for right now, it seems like she’s the only one on board.
Still, Scream VII is moving forward…albeit with very little momentum. Here’s what we know so far.
Plot
Scream 6 brought the crew to the horrifying land of New York City, where Ghostface actually blends in very well. The official plotline for the seventh film has not yet been released, though it will likely focus on Sidney’s story.
Cast
It’s been confirmed that Barrera and Ortega will not return to the franchise, though it’s unclear if they will be replaced. Cox, who has appeared in every Scream film, has not confirmed if she will return either.
Nearly two years after her very public bow out of the franchise, Campbell shocked the world by announcing she would be returning as Sidney Prescot for Scream 7.
In March, she posted a picture of the script with the caption, “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,” she said.
Release Date
While production is still in the early stages, Variety reports that the Scream films “don’t require extensive visual effects and can be produced quickly,” so it could very well hit theaters by next year, assuming that script is complete (and they don’t lose any more actors).
Trailer
Filming has not yet begun, so there is no trailer yet. Instead, you can look at these outtakes from the original film featuring Henry Winkler. It was a simpler time.
