After the firing of Melissa Barerra, Jenna Ortega leaving the Scream franchise, and director Christopher Landon abandoning the project, it looked like Scream 7 was on ice. But now, the sequel is roaring back to life with arguably its biggest star involved once again. After controversially stepping away from Scream VI, actress Neve Campbell has revealed via an Instagram post that she is returning to the role of Sidney Prescott for Scream 7. Not only that, but so is original Scream writer Kevin Williamson, who will direct a Scream installment for the first time. Scream (2022) and Scream VI’s writer Gary Busick is taking over writing the script from James Vanderbilt, according to The Hollywood Reporter. You can see Campbell’s announcement below:
In her post in regards to Williamson’s involvement, Campbell said “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.” The original Scream originated as a script called “Scary Movie,” which caught the eye of Wes Craven. Williamson would also write the second and fourth chapters. Not to mention other slashers like I Know What You Did Last Summer. His only feature directing credit is 1999’s Teaching Mrs. Tingle. Now, his second will take him back to where his career began, with Sidney Prescott.
Many believed that Neve Campbell would not return to the franchise after a salary dispute with Spyglass Entertainment. This conflict (allegedly) led her to not return for Scream VI. Since then, the goodwill for Spyglass among Scream fandom has been not so great. This only got worse after Melissa Barerra’s firing and Jenna Ortega’s decision to not return. Many also believed another Scream would never get off the ground. Now that it will, a lot of Scream fans will feel conflicted contributing to a franchise that treated its stars so shabbily. Can the return of Neve Campbell be enough to get the fans to un-boycott the franchise under Spyglass? We’ll find out when Scream 7 hits theaters probably in 2025 or 2026.