It won’t be too long before, yet again, Ghostface returns to hack and slash their way through some innocent (and not so innocent victims) upon the arrival of the Scream 7 release date. Teens of Woodsboro and beyond, beware!
Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson’s Scream franchise has produced some of the best horror movies we’ve ever seen since it started in 1996, and it’s still going strong. But as Sidney Prescott knows all too well, you never quite say goodbye to Ghostface, and change is in the air for the future of the franchise, as Scream 7 gets bogged down in behind-the-scenes trouble.
Scream 7 release date speculation
We think Scream 7 is likely to arrive in 2025 given that the writing team behind the movie has had to go back to the drawing board following some major casting shakeups.
Previously, there was just a year between Scream 5 and Scream 6, but a more substantial gap this time is almost certain because of the mentioned casting trouble (more on that below) and the fact that the Hollywood strikes prevented any real progress in 2023. With all that in mind, it looks like no filming will begin until deep into 2024.
The directors of Scream 6, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, shared that they wanted to continue the iconic franchise, but it’s since been announced that the new movie in the series will be helmed by Freaky and Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon, instead.
We really enjoyed the work done by the Radio Silence guys, as we wrote in our Scream 6 review, but we’re very happy indeed to see Landon involved. He has been responsible for some of the best slasher movies we’ve seen in years, providing exactly the sort of self-referential twists on the genre that Scream has always given us. We can’t imagine a more perfect fit between director and franchise.
Who’s in the Scream 7 cast?
The cast of Scream 7 is undergoing some major changes as it was confirmed in November 2023 that neither Jenna Ortega nor Melissa Barrera would return for the sequel.
Barrera has sat at the top of the Scream cast for the past two movies, but she was dropped from Scream 7 in November 2023. The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the decision to remove Barrera came in the wake of multiple social media posts about the Israel-Hamas war. A day later, Variety reported that Ortega left the project, citing “scheduling conflicts” with Wednesday season 2 as the reason behind her departure.
With the duo gone, everything else is in flux, and it looks like Scream 7 will have to either focus on new faces or revisit old ones. On that front, we’d really like to see Neve Campbell return as Sidney Prescott, as we felt her absence in Scream 6. Thankfully, Variety reports that the team behind the movie is considering attempting to bring Campbell back into the mix, alongside Patrick Dempsey from Scream 3.
In the absence of Ortega and Barrera, it isn’t just us who are glad to see the return of Campbell. The original Scream screenwriter, Kevin Williamson, agrees too.
“I love everyone involved with Scream, and all I can say is: Pay her the money,” he said on the Happy Horror Time podcast. “That’s what I would do, I would give her the money. I’m sure there’s a number they can agree on that would make them both happy. One day they’ll figure that all out, and who knows… one day.”
Also, while we’re coming up with our dream line-up, can we please bring Matthew Lillard back as Stu Macher? The star’s keen to do it, telling Entertainment Tonight he’d love to come back. We don’t care that he’s dead; this franchise has never played by the rules. If we can have Billy Loomis speaking to Sam from beyond the grave, we can make Stu’s return happen.
Here’s the expected Scream 7 cast list:
- Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott
- Patrick Dempsey as Mark Kincaid
- Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin
- Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin
- Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers
- Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed
- Roger Jackson as Ghostface
What is Scream 7 about?
The exit of Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera’s means the Scream 7 plot is up in the air as new characters look set to enter the fold, but we know there will be at least one Ghostface killer on the loose and a selection of unfortunate victims.
In the Scream 6 ending, we saw Sam captivated by her father, Billy Loomis’s (AKA: the original Ghostface) mask. We saw how she put on the costume earlier to save herself. However, it’s clear that Sam liked her time as a masked murderer more than she should have. Unfortunately, this plot thread is unlikely to be continued in the wake of Barrera and Ortega’s departure.
This is confirmed in a report by Variety, which suggests that Scream 7’s writers are making a fresh draft of the story and script, suggesting that everything will change… again.
Still, we really enjoy the idea of subverting the Ghostface formula and having one of our heroes wear the mask of one of the best movie villains of all time. That would be a fresh curveball, in a franchise that loves throwing them. It could also create a killer last stand for Sidney if Neve Campbell does return, forcing her to confront a very different kind of Ghostface.
Is there a trailer for Scream 7?
We expect to see a Scream 7 trailer in 2o25 if filming begins in 2024, assuming the production can get back on track following 2023’s bumps.
We’ll keep our eyes peeled for trailers and our first glimpse of the new Ghostface. In the meantime, why not revisit one of the best moments from the 2023 movie below? We loved to see Ghostface in a new environment and, despite the controversy, we’re in favor of seeing him pick up a firearm every now and then.
Even months later, this scene still has the tension and fear factor to get our pulses racing. It’s perfect for getting yourself psyched for another installment!
Where can I watch Scream 7?
Like most of the franchise, Scream 7 will likely be released as a theatrical exclusive at first and will be followed soon after by a digital rollout.
As it stands, you can watch most of the best movies in the series, including the most recent, on Paramount Plus. The others are available on Max. We expect Paramount’s platform to be where any new Scream movies will land, too. You can also purchase or rent the movies on Amazon Prime. Happy viewing!
And if you want to know the best way to watch the Scream movies in order, we’ve got your back, and we won’t stab it, unlike one pale-faced person we know. You can explore the Scream franchise, as well as everything else that’s new on Paramount Plus, via our handy link…
If you’re hungry for more from Ghostface, learn about the Scream 6 Easter eggs you missed and why Scream 6 featured a first-time moment for Courteney Cox. You can also find out how to avoid Ghostface and learn why we think Scream 4 had the best Ghostface.