HOLLYWOOD—OMG, this is news I’ve been dying to hear. The original “Scream” star and horror icon Neve Campbell is returning to the franchise that made her a household name after not appearing in “Scream VI” over a pay disparity. Yes, Neve will do battle with Ghostface yet again for “Scream VII” which doesn’t have an official release date, but I would argue we are likely to see it in 2025 perhaps.
That is not the only big news, the film’s original writer, Kevin Williamson is slated to direct the movie. Yes, Williamson is stepping behind the camera to direct an installment in the franchise that totally changed the horror genre in the late 90s and has spanned what will be seven films in almost a 30-year time frame. For Williamson to take over directing duties, I assume the script is quite strong which is being crafted by Guy Busick.
I do wish Williamson was crafting the script himself because no one knows the character of Sidney Prescott better than the guy who developed her out of thin air. Williamson and Campbell’s return tells me this script has to be a major evolution which means we’re not likely dealing with any high school or collegiate elements here and I think we’re getting a very adult flick full of terror and chaos that might be one of the best in the franchise since the original.
I know my hopes are already high as hell and we have no idea about the plot or the rest of the cast. “Scream VII” lost its lead in Melissa Barrera after she was fired over comments made about the Israel-Hamas war, then a day later the film’s other star Jenna Ortega left the project and weeks later director Christopher Landon left the project also. Fans were starting to think “Scream VII” was dead and done.
Fans are still wondering if Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown who portrayed twins Chad and Mindy Meeks in “Scream (2022)” and “Scream VI (2023)” will return. I don’t know because Sidney Prescott never interacted with those characters in the fifth installment which hit theaters in 2022. Yes, they are tied to Randy who died in “Scream 2,” but unless the story brings these characters in a way that mesh well I just don’t see it right now.
Who better be returning? Um, Courteney Cox as the iconic Gale Weathers. No word on Cox’s involvement yet, but if Campbell is returning and Williamson is playing a role as director, I feel Gale Weathers has to be back after her iconic fight sequence in “Scream VI.” Campbell posted the big announcement via her Instagram account with a picture of the script with her name on it and a lengthy message.
“Hi All. I’m so excited to announce this news!!! Sidney Prescott is coming back!!!! It has 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 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!!!…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 is 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 @kevinwilliamson.”
This means Spyglass, after that debacle with Campbell over pay, will appear in “Scream VI”, anted up the bucks for Campbell to have what is likely a starring role in this next entry. Other cast members for the flick have not yet been announced, but we can likely expect that in the coming weeks, and this is very exciting for “Scream VII” fans.
