The Big Picture
- Neve Campbell is officially back for
Scream 7
after payment discrepancies hindered her return. - The firing of Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega’s departure due to scheduling conflicts created production roadblocks.
- The plot for
Scream 7
is uncertain following the exit of key cast members, with the release date currently unknown.
It’s official—Neve Campbell is back for Scream 7. While fans have long speculated on whether the actress would return for the franchise’s upcoming seventh installment to reprise her role as Sidney Prescott, the answer is finally here, as the star took to her social media account to share the news. Campbell appeared as the slasher’s final girl for the first five installments before stepping back from Scream VI due to payment discrepancies. When Scream 7 began to get the ball rolling, the franchise’s creator and scribe, Kevin Williamson, urged the production team to “pay her the money” that she was asking for in hopes of reeling her back into the world of Ghostface and Woodsboro. News came in January that Campbell would be open to shooting a seventh film should a “respectful offer” be made.
Because of the firing of Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega’s decision to step down due to scheduling conflicts with Season 2 of Wednesday, Scream 7 has hit some big road bumps. Barrera was let go from her leading role as Sam Carpenter after she shared her pro-Palestine stance on her Instagram. Standing by her words even after she was fired, Barrera never wavered in her beliefs. While it was first believed that Ortega was leaving the project in solidarity with her on-screen sister, Barrera, it was later revealed that she had to make a tough decision between Wednesday and Scream 7. Both women had two-film contracts with Spyglass Media Group, meaning their agreements with the company were up. Shortly following their departures, director Christopher Landon revealed that he, too, had parted ways with the project.
The plot for Scream 7 is completely up in the air right now, as Barrera’s Sam Carpenter and Ortega’s Tara Carpenter found themselves to be the newest targets of Ghostface’s sharpened blade. Further casting announcements haven’t been made at this time, including information surrounding the other two members of “The Core Four,” Jasmin Savoy Brown’s Mindy Meeks and Mason Gooding’s Chad Meeks, the recently returned Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed, and the ever-remarkable Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers. However, it’s worth noting that both Brown and Gooding have remarked that they’d be eager to reprise their roles.
Neve Campbell’s Journey with the Franchise
Audiences were first introduced to Campbell’s Sidney Prescott in the original 1996 film, Scream, in which she starred alongside some of the biggest names of the ’90s including Cox, Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich, Rose McGowan, Drew Barrymore, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Kennedy, and David Arquette. Managing to dodge death in Scream 1-5, she ended her fight with Scream VI. As mentioned at the top, the reason behind Campbell’s decision was a payment discrepancy with the studio with the film playing it off as Sidney wanting to keep her kids and husband, Mark (Patrick Dempsey) safe.
As of right now, Scream 7 has not set a release date. Stay tuned to Collider for more information.
Scream 6
Release Date March 10, 2023
Runtime 123 minutes
Watch on Paramount+
