In 2022, Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media revived the Scream franchise with a new entry (the fifth) that was a box office hit, earning almost $139 million at the global box office. Fourteen months later, Scream VI came along – and became an even bigger hit, pulling in almost $169 million at the global box office, a number that was up there with the series’ heyday, when the first Scream and Scream 2 made just over $170 million. (Scream 3 also made over $160 million – only Scream 4 failed to crack $100 million.) So, of course, the companies are moving full steam ahead with Scream 7. While the movie seemed, initially, to be on the fast-track to success, the track it’s on has turned out to be a shockingly bumpy ride.
MELISSA BARRERA FIRED
Melissa Barrera entered the franchise with the fifth Scream as a character named Samantha Carpenter, who turns out to have been the daughter of original Ghostface killer Billy Loomis and Christina Carpenter, a character who has not yet appeared on screen in any of the films. Barrera was back as Sam in Scream VI and was expected to return for Scream 7… but she won’t be. On November 21st, Spyglass Media confirmed that Barrera had been fired from the project. Their reasoning: “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.” Apparently Barrera had made comments on social media regarding the situation in Israel and Gaza that didn’t go over well with Spyglass. Her response to the firing was, “Silence is not an option.“
When Barrera was still expected to be in the movie, she was hoping Samantha’s mom Christina (who is also the mother of Sam’s sister Tara, played by Jenna Ortega) would be showing up in the film as well. She even knew who she’d like to see play Christina: Salma Hayek. That’s very unlikely to happen now. Barrera was also hoping the next sequel would explore Sam’s mental health.
Whatever the case, Barrera does not seem to have been slowed by her firing, with her joining a pro-Palestinian protest at Sundance, where her latest (well-received) movie Your Monster premiere. She’s also got another movie with her Scream directors Radio Silence, coming out in April. That film, Abigail, is getting good buzz and she’s been front and center in the advertising campaign. Many of the stars seem to be on Barrera’s side, with her recently reuniting with much of the cast at a gala event, while Hayden Panettiere, who co-stared in Scream VI, called it “unfair and upsetting”. While the filmmakers were hoping to wrap up Sam’s story as a trilogy, during an interview with Collider, Barrera said she feels satisfied with where Scream VI left her character. “I feel like the ending of Scream VI was a very good ending, and so I don’t feel like ‘Ugh, I got left in the middle.’ No, I think people, the fans, were wanting a third movie to continue that arc, and apparently, the plan was a trilogy, even though I was only contracted for two movies . So, I did my two movies, and I’m fine. I’m good with that. I got two – that’s more than most people get. When you’re on a TV show, and it gets canceled, you can’t harp on things, you gotta move on. That’s the nature of this industry too, I get excited for the next job, I get excited for the next skin I get to put on. It’s exciting to create a different character. So yeah, I feel good. I did what I set out to do. It was always meant to be two movies for me, ’cause that was my contract, and so everything is perfect.“
JENNA ORTEGA WANTED (AND DESERVED) MORE MONEY
The day after Melissa Barrera’s firing was confirmed, it was revealed that her co-star Jenna Ortega had also exited the project. In addition to playing Tara in the Scream movies, Ortega plays the title character in Netflix’s Addams Family series Wednesday – and since season 2 of Wednesday is scheduled to film in Ireland through the spring and summer next year, her Scream 7 absence is blamed on scheduling conflicts. About a week later, it was confirmed that Ortega, who is also a lead in Beetlejuice 2, wanted a substantial salary increase. Spyglass, who seem to be rather tight-fisted with actor salaries, refused, so Ortega walked away. So we won’t be seeing either of the Carpenter sisters – who formed the “core four” group of characters with the Meeks-Martin twins (played by Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown) – in this next film. Last we heard, Gooding and Brown hadn’t even been contacted about reprising their roles.
NEVE CAMPBELL TO RETURN… WITH PATRICK DEMPSEY?
Neve Campbell played heroine Sidney Prescott in the first five Scream films, and was expected to reprise the role of Scream VI… but then she dropped out of the sequel over a pay dispute. When asked if Campbell might be brought back for a Scream 7 or if the filmmakers had given up on her, Bettinelli-Olpin replied, “We’d never give up on her. We love Neve, and we love Sidney. So we’d love to be able to make another movie with her, and we’re not giving up.“ Original Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson, who has been involved with several of the sequels in some capacity, has spoken out in support of Campbell. He said, “I totally respect her opinion… I know exactly where she’s coming from, I know her well. I love and adore her and that’s what she did. It’s right for her. I love everyone involved in Scream and all I can say is, pay her the money. That’s what I would do, I would give her the money.” For her part, Campbell holds no ill will towards the films, recently praising the sixth film.
With Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega out of Scream 7, new reports suggested that Spyglass was looking to bring Sidney Prescott back into the picture, trying to entice Neve Campbell to return… along with newly minted Sexiest Man Alive, Patrick Dempsey, who played her love interest in Scream 3. The character, a cop named Mark Kincaid, is widely believed to be married to Sidney in the Scream universe, with her name-dropping her husband, Mark, in the fifth film. Most fans believe she’s referring to Dempsey’s character, and that the two got married and started a family following the third film.
We don’t yet know if Dempsey is going to be in the movie (we hear he’s in talks, and Dempsey has confirmed that much), but on March 12th, Campbell took to Instagram to officially confirm that she is going to be starring in the new sequel. She wrote, “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 Kevin Williamson.”
Campbell told People that she’s being paid what she deserves this time around: “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.“
During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Campbell was asked if Sidney will be front and center this time around. She confirmed, “We’re going to follow Sidney.” She went on to say, “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 entered negotiations to return as author and reporter Gale Weathers back in March, but as of September, she still hasn’t officially signed on. Speaking with Variety, Cox said, “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.“ It would be surprising if she doesn’t end up being in this sequel, as she has been in all of the Scream movies to date.
Another original Scream star who would gladly be involved is Matthew Lillard, who has said he would love to reprise the role of killer Stu Macher.
WHO IS THE DIRECTOR?
While the first four Scream films were directed by the late, great Wes Craven, Scream (2022) and Scream VI were both directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who form the Radio Silence team with producer Chad Villella. At the Scream VI premiere, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett were asked about the possibility of Scream 7 happening. They replied, “We hope (there will be a Scream 7). We want to be watching Scream movies, whether we’re involved or not, for the rest of our lives.” They wanted to direct the next sequel, but they got wrapped up in making their Universal Monster movie Abigail (a project once known as Dracula’s Daughter) – so, as they put it, they were “exited” from the Scream sequel. Radio Silence remains attached to the project as executive producers. The first choice to replace Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett at the helm was Christopher Landon, the director of Happy Death Day and Freaky. But as the project fell apart around him with the exit of Ortega and the firing of Barrera, he abandoned ship. A rumor claimed that John Hyams, who previously collaborated with Kevin Williamson on the slasher movie Sick, was being considered for the directing job, with his competition being an “unidentified female director.”
But the job didn’t go to Hyams or a female director; instead, Kevin Williamson is going to be directing the film! In addition to writing the original Scream, Williamson has also written I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream 2, The Faculty, and Halloween H20 (where his script contribution were uncredited). He wrote the initial drafts of Scream 3 and Scream 4, then those both received some major rewrites. For Scream 7, he’ll be working from a screenplay by 2022’s Scream and Scream VI writer Guy Busick, who crafted the story with his co-writer on the fifth and sixth films, James Vanderbilt. (Vanderbilt is also a producer on the most recent sequels.) Williamson made his directing debut with the 1999 thriller Teaching Mrs. Tingle. Twenty-five years later, Scream 7 will be his second directing credit.
Cox said that she’s “excited” that Williamson is going to be at the helm of this sequel, which is expected to start filming in December or January. “You can’t get better than that choice. It’s going to be fun.“
Are you interested in Scream 7 now that we know Neve Campbell is going to be starring in the film, with Kevin Williamson directing? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below. Scream 7 is set to reach theatres on February 27, 2026.
The post Scream 7: Everything We Know About the New Sequel appeared first on JoBlo.
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