‘Scream 7’: Courteney Cox in Talks to Star in Sequel After Neve Campbell Announced Her Return
‘Scream 7’ was up in the air after the exits of Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, but Neve Campbell has announced she is returning to the franchise. Now, Courteney Cox may reprise her role as Gale Weathers.
The love for Scream reached new heights after the release of Scream 6, but the future of the franchise is up in the air. In its opening weekend, Scream 6 broke the franchise record by making $67 million at the box office. Scream 6 was the second film featuring a new generation of stars, including Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown.
In November 2023, Melissa was removed from the cast of Scream 7. The actress was fired from the film over her comments regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict. One day later, it was reported that Jenna would not be returning for Scream 7 because of her Wednesday season 2 shooting schedule. Now, new details have been revealed about the Scream 7 drama. Mason explained to Variety in March 2024 why the seventh installment could still happen.
That month, the original final girl, Neve Campbell, confirmed that she will be starring in the next film, reprising her role as Sidney Prescott.
So what does this mean for Scream 7? Hollywood Life is breaking down everything we know about Scream 7.
Is There Going To Be A Seventh ‘Scream’ Movie?
Yes, Scream VII is officially on. It was confirmed in August 2023 when Christopher Landon was announced as the new director. He’s taking over from Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.
The fifth Scream movie was released in January 2022. After it became a box office success, Scream 6 quickly got the green light. The sixth Scream movie filmed quickly took place from June to August 2022. Scream 7 was delayed due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes of 2023.
‘Scream 7’ Release Date
There’s no release date yet for a seventh Scream movie. Given the ongoing casting changes, it’s unclear when Scream 7’s production will get underway.
‘Scream 7’ Cast
Following Scream VI‘s success, everyone assumed Scream 7 would feature the return of Scream’s “Core Four,” which includes Jenna as Tara, Melissa as Sam, Mason as Chad, and Jasmin as Mindy. They all managed to survive their latest round with Ghostface.
However, the Core Four is now the Core Two in the wake of Melissa’s firing and Jenna’s departure. Jenna’s exit is due to her Wednesday season 2 filming schedule. The Golden Globe nominee is expected to film the second season of the Netflix hit from April 2024 through the summer. Jenna reportedly asked for a “bigger payday” in order to return for Scream 7 and had no deal in place after Scream 6, according to THR.
Melissa was fired a month before the news broke, according to THR. Prior to her firing, her deal to return for Scream 7 had reportedly been finalized. “Spyglass’ stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech,” Spyglass, the production company behind Scream, said in a statement regarding Melissa’s removal.
There’s been no word about Jasmin and Mason’s roles in Scream 7 amid these changes. Spyglass boss Gary Barber supposedly doesn’t believe that “stars nor large salaries are essential” for the success of the Scream franchise. “He didn’t need Neve, he doesn’t need Jenna,” an insider told THR. Scream 7 was reportedly going to be the “end of a rumored trilogy focused on the two Carpenter sisters.” While some insiders believe the future of the franchise is in “shambles” and “very raw,” a full-scale reboot could be on the horizon.
Hayden Panettiere’s long-awaited return as Kirby Reed paved the way for more of the beloved character in the future. She was stabbed again by Ghostface, but she survived. She told Tara and Sam to call her if they “ever” needed anything. Kirby was the perfect bridge between the original legacy characters and the newbies. She also formed a sweet bond with Tara. Bring Kirby back, Scream 7!
Courteney Cox’s Gale Weathers also survived another brutal attack by Ghostface. Courteney is the only original Scream character to have appeared in all six films so far, and she is in talks to return for the seventh installment, per The Hollywood Reporter.
As with all previous Scream films, a new batch of supporting characters would be introduced in Scream 7. One or a few of them could be the new Ghostface!
Will Neve Campbell Return For ‘Scream 7’?
Following her absence from the sixth movie, Neve announced that she signed on to reprise her role as Sidney for Scream 7.
“Sidney Prescott is coming back!!!!” she wrote in an Instagram post in March 2024. “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.”
She continued, “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 [creator] 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.”
The Scream world was shocked in June 2022 when Neve revealed that she would not be returning as Sidney Prescott in Scream 6.
“Sadly, I won’t be making the next Scream film,” Neve said in a statement. “As a woman, I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream. I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise.”
Neve’s absence was felt in Scream 6. She was mentioned briefly after the latest set of Ghostface attacks. Gale revealed that Sidney wouldn’t be coming to New York. Sidney and Mark took their kids to a safe spot to hide out from Ghostface.
Neve’s decision to not come back didn’t completely change the story of Scream 6. “This was always the story we wanted to tell, which is really exciting we were able to do it,” writer James Vanderbilt told Variety. “The Sam and Tara sister story was always the thing we wanted to be front and center in this. We love Neve and think she’s amazing and had a great experience with her on [Scream] 5. She needs to do what she needs to do as a business woman and we totally support that.”
Director Tyler Gillett added, “I think what ultimately happened was we knew that if anything, in the absence of that character, we had to really dig deeper into the core four and make those relationships matter in a really emotional way. The goal was to try to form a connection between those characters and the audience the way that we formed a connection with Gale, Dewey, and Sid. At the end of the day, that’s just about having the time and the real estate in your story to really dig deep. But no, it wasn’t a wildly dramatic pivot.”
Neve hasn’t ruled out bringing Sidney back into the fold. “I don’t know that I’m done for good,” the actress tells PEOPLE in August 2022. “It would really depend on what they came to me with next. It would have to be different. It would have to be a different attitude, and I’m not sure that’s going to happen.”
The actress continued, “If they came to me with a number that felt right, that felt respectful, that felt in keeping with my value that I brought to the franchise, I’d be willing to consider [returning in the future].”I don’t believe it’s dead in the water, but we’ll see. But honestly, I’m really okay. I’ve been able to let it go. I wish them well. I’m doing three different shows right now. I’m very, very grateful that I’m working. I’m happy. So all is good.”
Is Stu Macher Alive?
That’s the million-dollar question. OG killer Stu was seemingly killed in the first Scream movie after being stabbed and electrocuted when a television falls on his head. However, a legion of Scream fans are holding out hope that Stu somehow survived and has been living in hiding for all this time.
Scream 5 featured Stu’s nephew briefly, but he was killed quickly by Ghostface. The big showdown went down at Stu Macher’s old house just like in the original.
Scream 6 directly referenced Stu Macher. At the Ghostface shrine warehouse, the Core Four and others came face-to-face with key items from past killings, including the TV that supposedly killed Stu. When Kirby brings up the TV that killed Stu, Mindy quipped, “If you believe he’s dead.”
Scream’s original screenwriter, Kevin Williamson, has said that Stu is dead dead. “No, he’s dead. I think that started because of the college scene, the frat party scene because he’s standing in the background. He just came to visit set that night,” he told Collider.
The latest Scream team isn’t so concrete about Stu’s fate. “There’s no good answer, so I will never confirm or deny stuff like that,” James Vanderbilt told Variety. Producer William Sherak added, “Anything’s possible.” Producer Paul Neinstein also said, “Characters can come in and out! There’s different ways to do it. It’s such a part of all of their lives; they have an affinity for Scream.“
Even if Stu is dead, he could come back as Skeet Ulrich’s Billy Loomis, who has appeared in the latest two films in Sam’s head. If Stu somehow is still alive, that would be the ultimate twist. Scream 7 could follow the theme of Scream 3: the past can always comes back to bite you.