Scream 7: Release date and latest cast news

The former was dropped by production company Spyglass over her comments on the conflict in Gaza, while the latter was prevented from returning by a schedule clash with Wednesday season 2.

The cast changes required a creative overhaul of the project, with original director Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day) being replaced by franchise creator Kevin Williamson, who also penned the script for the seventh entry.

Long-serving franchise star Courteney Cox has joined Campbell in the project, along with reboot-era favourites Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown, while a slew of new faces have been recruited for the latest entry.

If you're intrigued to see where the horror film series is headed now, here's everything we know so far about Scream 7.

Scream 7 release date

Scream 7 will be released in cinemas on Friday 27th February 2026, as was confirmed by writer-director Kevin Williamson and star Neve Campbell in a joint post on Instagram,

Williamson celebrated the start of filming on Instagram on Wednesday 7th January 2025, sharing an image of Scream 7's first clapperboard despite admitting that he's "not supposed" to be talking about the film yet.

"I hope Spyglass and Paramount will forgive me but when you have one of the best days of your life it's really hard to keep it to yourself," he wrote.

"What an extraordinary day I had working with an amazing and talented cast and crew."

Williamson continued: "They brought their A game and had my back every step of the way. I'm so very grateful for this opportunity and to Wes Craven who was on my mind through it all. The profound impact he has had on my life and career is endless."

Scream 7 cast: New and returning members

Neve Campbell stars in Scream 7, reprising her role of franchise stalwart Sidney Prescott, who will presumably be targeted by yet another Ghostface killer or killers.

The actor declined to appear in the sixth instalment, reportedly over a pay dispute, which instead pivoted focus to the Carpenter sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega).

In March 2024, four months after Barrera's firing (see next section for details), it was announced that Campbell would be returning as the franchise's primary focus in its seventh entry.

She announced the news on her Instagram account, writing: "I’m so excited to announce this news!!! Sidney Prescott is coming back!!!! It’s always been such a blast and an honour 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'll be joined by Friends legend Courteney Cox as reporter and repeated Ghostface survivor Gale Weathers, who is now the only actor to appear in every single Scream film (besides Roger L Jackson as the disguised voice of all the killers).

Although neither Barrera nor Ortega are returning for Scream 7, the upcoming sequel won't be entirely discarding the additions made by the creatives behind the fifth and sixth entries.

Mason Gooding (Love, Victor) and Jasmin Savoy Brown (Yellowjackets) will be reprising their roles as siblings Chad and Mindy, who are the nephew and niece of deceased original character Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy).

Meanwhile, the producers have added a number of up-and-coming actors to the Scream family, including Isabel May (Yellowstone: 1923), Celeste O'Connor (Madame Web), Asa Germann (Gen V), Mckenna Grace (Ghostbusters) and Sam Rechner (Heartbreak High).

There are no details on precisely who they're playing just yet, but it seems unlikely that each of their characters will make it out of the movie alive.

In addition, Scream 7 has also tapped some more established names, including Pitch Perfect star Anna Camp in an as-yet-undisclosed role and Community's Joel McHale as the husband of Sidney Prescott.

The latter casting raised eyebrows among the fan base, as Sidney's perpetually off-screen husband had previously been identified as Patrick Dempsey's detective Mark Kincaid, whose sole franchise appearance was in the divisive Scream 3.

The Grey's Anatomy alum seemed open to returning to the role in an interview with NBC's Today show last year, telling the hosts that there "has been a conversation about it" and that he was "waiting on the script".

It now seems that screenwriter and Scream franchise creator Kevin Williamson has gone in an entirely different direction by casting McHale as Sidney's husband, suggesting that she and Mark have divorced since the events of 2022's Scream (where Mark was mentioned in passing).

In addition to Dempsey, there has also been no official confirmation of roles for other franchise players, including Hayden Panettiere's Kirby Reed, Matthew Lillard's Stu Macher or Roger L Jackson's voice of Ghostface.

We'd expect at least Jackson to be back on board, but the others – including Lillard's long absent, always rumoured villain – might well be missing out on the action this time. To be fair, its probably a good thing for the health and wellbeing of their characters.

Why was Melissa Barrera fired from Scream 7?

It had seemed that Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega would be moving forward as the faces of the franchise, but that plan fell apart after Barrera was fired by production company Spyglass over her comments on the conflict in Gaza.

In one Instagram post, Barrera wrote: "Western media only shows the [Israeli] side. Why do they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself... We don’t need more hate. No Islamophobia. No Anti-semitism."

A spokesperson for Spyglass said (via Variety): "Spyglass's 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."

Barrera countered in an Instagram post: "First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.

"As a Latina, a proud Mexicana, I feel the responsibility of having a platform that allows me the privilege of being heard, and therefore I have tried to use it to raise awareness about issues I care about and to lend my voice to those in need."

She added: "I believe a group of people are NOT their leadership, and that no governing body should be above criticism. I pray day and night for no more deaths, for no more violence, and for peaceful co-existence."

Ortega dropped out of the Scream franchise shortly after Barrera's firing, although her exit was revealed to be over a scheduling conflict with Wednesday season 2.

Behind the camera, Scream 7's original director Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, Freaky) also left the project, after posting on X (formerly Twitter): "Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make."

In November 2024, a year on from her firing, Barrera opened up to The Independent about the negative impact it had on her career in the immediate term.

"It was quiet for, like, 10 months," she began. "I was still getting offers for small things here and there – I’m not going to lie and say there was nothing – but [the message] was, 'Oh, she probably doesn’t have work, she’ll say yes to anything.'

"It was the darkest and hardest year of my life, and I had to reevaluate everything. There were times when I felt like my life was over."

Scream 7 plot theories

While we don't know too much about what to expect from the next instalment at this stage, Neve Campbell has explained that she was tempted into returning because of a renewed focus on Sidney Prescott.

"We are going to follow Sidney," she told Entertainment Tonight. "They did pitch the concept to me, and it's the reason that I jumped on board."

Is there a trailer for Scream 7?

Sadly, nothing yet. We'll update this page if any new footage is released.

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