Highlights
- Melissa Barrera’s departure from Scream 7 led to major reworks, impacting the story’s direction.
- Plans for Sam Carpenter’s three-movie arc were scrapped due to recent cast exits.
- Uncertainty looms over Scream 7 with key character departures, and the potential return of franchise favorites.
The Scream franchise was dealt a huge blow with the departure of Melissa Barrera, leaving plans for Scream 7 to be totally reworked. It was announced Jenna Ortega had also left the upcoming sequel, and incoming director, Christopher Landon followed out the door soon after that. James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick are currently reworking the script, and franchise veteran, Skeet Ulrich has recently opened up in an interview about what the creative team originally pitched for Sam’s arc.
Turns out, from the start, there was a plan for Sam’s story to be told over three movies. Scream (2022) and Scream 6 were massive successes for Paramount, which led Spyglass to get the go ahead to make Scream 7, and the opportunity for Sam Carpenter’s story to come full circle. Sadly, fans won’t get the opportunity to see what direction the troubled protagonist’s story would’ve taken.
What was supposed to happen to Sam in Scream 7?
Sam Carpenter was introduced in Scream (2022) as the new protagonist in the legendary horror franchise, as Sidney Prescott took a back seat and successfully passed the torch to Sam and a new generation of Ghostface survivors. Sam was joined by her sister, Tara, and her friends, Chad and Mindy, and they collectively became known as the Core 4 when they all returned in Scream 6.Sam wasn’t the typical final girl as she had connections with a certain serial killer, which was uncovered in her first appearance in the franchise. She was the daughter of the original Ghostface killer, Billy Loomis. Skeet Ulrich played the teenage killer in the original Scream, and returned in Scream 2022 and Scream 6 in Sam’s nightmare visions. Ulrich recently opened up about the plan for Sam’s arc in an interview with Screen Rant:
Exactly that. I was hoping for exactly that, and that’s sort of the idea that was pitched to me a couple years ago. That it was a three-movie arc, with that in mind. Now, I never saw any of the drafts of seven or anything that… And I don’t know, I mean, it’s possible that it didn’t include any of that as well. But yeah, that was my hope is that if it was going to mean anything, that it directly impacted the plot.
Sadly, these exciting plans for Sam won’t ever come to fruition, after she was fired from Scream 7 for her pro-Palestine sentiments on Instagram. There were hints of the darkness that lied within Sam’s character, with her links to Billy Loomis being something Scream 7 could’ve explored even further.
It’s likely this could also spell the end of Skeet Ulrich’s involvement in the franchise, as his return in the previous two sequels was very much linked to Sam’s story. The visions he appeared in received a mixed response from fans and critics, but it was great to see Ulrich inhabit the character for the first time since the original movie.
What direction could Scream 7 go in now?
Scream 7 is facing an uncertain future with Sam and Tara’s story coming to an abrupt end, with the departure of Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega. However, there are plenty of characters who could return in the upcoming sequel to save it from disaster. Neve Campbell sat out Scream 6 due to a pay dispute with Spyglass, but she hasn’t ruled out reprising her role as the ultimate final girl, Sidney Prescott in Scream 7. There have also been rumors that Patrick Dempsey could return as Sidney’s husband, Mark Kincaid, who was last seen in Scream 3.
Courteney Cox has played Gale Weathers in every Scream movie to date, so it is likely she could also return for another stand-off with Ghostface. The Scream franchise wouldn’t be the same without the legendary news reporter, and many fans would be delighted to get a Gale-focused story in Scream 7.
One of the highlights of Scream 6 was the return of fan favorite Kirby Reed, portrayed by Hayden Panetiere. Before her return in the latest sequel, she was last seen in Scream 4, as Charlie Walker stabbed her multiple times in the stomach and left her for dead. This led to speculation over whether she lived or died. It was confirmed in an Easter egg in Scream (2022) that she did survive, and there’s a possibility Scream 7 could be about Kirby.
There has also been a debate between fans that has raged on for years over whether Billy Loomis’ accomplice, Stu Macher, died from his injuries in Scream, with many suggesting he actually survived. It remains a possibility that Matthew Lillard could return to the role that launched his career in Scream 7, and this would delight many fans.
Scream 7 has many different directions it could go in, and as much as Sam’s story being brought to an abrupt halt was devastating, the franchise has recovered from major setbacks in the past, and it will do so again. There is set to be an announcement in the near future about who will direct Scream 7 and this could pave the way for more details about the progress of the highly anticipated upcoming sequel. Spyglass are keen to commence filming as soon as possible with a 2025 release date being touted.
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