After leaving the Scream franchise in 2022, Neve Campbell is officially back as Sidney Prescott for Scream 7. And that’s not all – the franchise is getting a fresh stab from a familiar hand behind the scenes, with original writer Kevin Williamson taking the helm as director for the first time.
Neve Campbell announces her Scream comeback on Instagram
On March 12, 2024, Neve Campbell took to Instagram to officially announce her return to the Scream franchise.
“Hi All. I’m so excited to announce this news!!! Sidney Prescott is coming back!!!!” Campbell wrote in a post. “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.”
The fun surprises didn’t stop there, as Campbell also shared that Kevin Williamson is also coming back to the franchise to direct the latest installment of the horror movie series. For the uninitiated, Williamson was the one who wrote Scream 1, Scream 2, and Scream 4.
“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,” Campbell wrote. “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.”
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Why did Neve Campbell leave the Scream franchise?
In a statement released in June 2022, Campbell revealed that she decided to exit the Scream franchise due to monetary reasons.
“Sadly, I won’t be making the next Scream film,” said the 50-year-old Canadian actress at the time. “As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream. [But] I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise.”
Campbell admitted that it’s a “very difficult decision” but she made it clear that he has nothing but love for all those who supported her during her entire time in the franchise. “To all my Scream fans, I love you,” the actress added. “You’ve always been so incredibly supportive to me. I’m forever grateful to you and to what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years.”
Fast-forward to 2023, Scream (2022) and Scream VI directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet stated that they wanted Campbell to return in future installments, saying “we’d love to be able to make another movie with her, and we’re not giving up.” Although Scream 7 won’t be directed by the Matt and Tyler duo, the two likely had a hand in bringing Campbell back to the movie series.
Why did director Christopher Landon depart from Scream 7?
In August 2023, Christopher Landon was announced as the director of Scream 7. But in December of that year, Landon revealed he was no longer part of the project.
“I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited Scream 7 weeks ago,” he said at the time. “It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart did break for everyone involved. Everyone. But it’s time to move on.”
Landon didn’t reveal the reason for his departure from Scream 7, but the project has had several setbacks since it was officially announced. For instance, production of the film had been slowed by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike and the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. Plans were delayed further in November 2023 when actress Melissa Barrera was fired from the film for social media posts in support of Palestine during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, which was interpreted as antisemitic by the producers.
Shortly after that, it was announced that actress Jenna Ortega was not returning for Scream 7 due to scheduling conflicts with filming the Netflix series Wednesday. Several sources later claimed that Ortega’s exit was due to a salary dispute with the movie’s production company Spyglass Media Group.
It’s also worth noting that Landon took to social media to express his dismay and defend himself after Barrera’s firing was announced. “This is my statement: Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make,” Landon wrote in a now-deleted post on social media along with a broken heart emoji.
What is Scream 7 about?
Plot details about Scream 7 are being kept under wraps, but ComicBook.com Guy reported that Guy Busick (Scream, 2022 and Scream VI) has taken over the screenwriting duties from James Vanderbilt, as the latter is currently on location directing the docu-drama series Nuremberg.
Vanderbilt, however, continues to serve as a producer alongside his Project X Entertainment partners William Sherak and Paul Neinstein (Scream, 2022 and Scream VI).
When is Scream 7 coming out?
There isn’t an official release date for Scream 7 yet. While filming hasn’t even begun, there are rumors of a script being completed. This points to a possible release sometime in late 2025 or even 2026.