Highlights
- Neve Campbell will return as Sidney Prescott in Scream 7, marking a significant boost to the franchise.
- Kevin Williamson, the creator of the Scream franchise, will direct the upcoming sequel, bringing his expertise to the project.
- Rumors suggest plot details involving Sidney’s return, potential appearances of past characters like Mark Kincaid, and the long-awaited resolution on Stu Macher’s fate in Scream 7.
The Scream franchise has been dealt a huge boost with the official announcement that Neve Campbell will reprise her iconic final girl role of Sidney Prescott in Scream 7. To add to this positive news, the brainchild of the Scream franchise, Kevin Williamson, is set to direct the upcoming sequel, from a screenplay written by Gus Busick. Williamson wrote the screenplay for the original Scream movie, and also penned Scream 2 and Scream 4, before Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt took on writing duties for the last two sequels, with Williamson acting as an executive producer on both projects.
Neve Campbell was absent for Scream 6 after a pay dispute with Spyglass, but the issues between both parties appear to be resolved with the exciting announcement of her return to the long-running horror franchise. This news coupled with Williamson directing the upcoming sequel will no doubt appease many fans who were left devastated by the firing of Melissa Barrera and the departure of Jenna Ortega due to scheduling conflicts during pre-production on Scream 7. This was followed by the exit of Christopher Landon, who was set to direct the seventh entry in the series. However, these two big announcements appear to put plans for Scream 7 firmly back on track.
What could Kevin Williamson directing Scream 7 mean for the franchise?
There wouldn’t be a Scream franchise without the creative mind of Kevin Williamson, who penned the script for Scream and two of its sequels. He collaborated with Wes Craven for many years on the franchise, and was pivotal in the overall success of the postmodern horror series. The announcement that he would direct Scream 7 came as a shock to many fans, but it makes perfect sense and could lead to a very exciting future for the franchise.
Williamson has only directed one feature film during his illustrious career, with the under-rated Teaching Mrs Tingle in 1999, but this lack of experience in the hot seat isn’t a cause for concern, as nobody knows the Scream franchise better than him, making him the perfect candidate to direct Scream 7. For the majority of his career, Williamson has operated in the television world, as a showrunner and head writer, overseeing massive hits like Dawson’s Creek, The Vampire Diaries and The Following, making him no stranger to being in charge of big projects.
Scream was the movie that launched his career, and it’s fair to say he’s had every opportunity to see what has worked and what hasn’t over the years with his creation, and he’s fully earned the right to put his own stamp on things with the next entry. Scream 7 has the potential to return to its roots, especially with the return of the iconic final girl, Sidney Prescott, portrayed by Neve Campbell.
Will he write Scream 7 as well as direct?
Kevin Williamson has primarily been known as a writer over the span of his near 30-year career in Hollywood, but Scream 7 will see him direct from a screenplay written by Guy Busick, from a story developed by him and his writing partner, James Vanderbilt. Both writers are no stranger to the horror franchise after they wrote Scream (2022) and Scream 6 together.
A Scream movie written and directed by Kevin Williamson would’ve been the ultimate dream scenario for the fans, but a screenplay was already in the works for the upcoming installment, so it wasn’t to be. However, Williamson has the ultimate say on the project as director, and he is bound to want to adjust and fine tune the story for Scream 7, to fit in with his overall vision for the series, and this is a very exciting prospect.
Neve Campbell is coming back for Scream 7
The big news that arrived at the same time as Kevin Williamson’s announcement as Scream 7′s new director, was the official return of Neve Campbell to the franchise, after sitting out Scream 6 due to a pay dispute. Campbell announced her return as well as Williamson’s on her Instagram page:
Hi All. I’m so excited to announce this news!!! Sidney Prescott is coming back!!!! It’s 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 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!!! Well actually I could. While I’ve been so incredibly lucky to make these films with both the master of horror Wes Craven and the wonderfully talented Matt and Tyler team, 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’s 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.
Campbell is clearly delighted to return to the role that launched her career, and her love for the character and the fans was never in doubt, as she often appears at fan conventions and speaks positively about the franchise, despite her pay dispute with Spyglass which led to her absence in Scream 6. This appears to be water under the bridge as a fee has been agreed that she was happy with, and she is likely to return to the lead role with the absence of Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega after their own disputes with the production company.
What could happen to Sidney Prescott in Scream 7?
Plot details are understandably being kept under wraps leading up to the shooting of Scream 7, but rumors have persisted about how Sidney Prescott could be brought back into the fold. When Barrera and Ortega were still attached to the project, there was a suggestion that Scream 7 would feature the Carpenter sisters in a separate story to that of Sidney before they eventually collided. However, when the two actresses exited the project, Scream 7 went under extensive rewrites.
It was revealed in Scream (2022) that Sidney had married Mark Kincaid, who was the detective on the case in Scream 3, and Patrick Dempsey who portrayed him, has been heavily linked to return in Scream 7. Campbell’s official return is likely to pave the way for Dempsey to join her in the upcoming sequel, as the married couple fight off Ghostface for potentially one final time.
This also raises the question of who else might return in Scream 7. Courteney Cox has appeared as news reporter, Gale Weathers, in every entry in the series thus far, and despite no official announcement on whether she’ll return, it’s hard to picture a Scream movie without her. There is also the possibility of Kirby Reed getting in on the action after Hayden Panettiere reprized her role as the fan favorite character in Scream 6. The inclusion of two of the Core 4, Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin, is also possible as they both survived the events of the last movie. However, the absence of Sam and Tara raises doubts over the return of Randy Meek’s niece and nephew.
There is also the possibility of a long-running fan theory that could finally be answered one way or another in Scream 7. Is Stu Macher really alive? The last two installments have teased his possible survival, and Matthew Lillard who portrayed the original Ghostface, has always been open to returning, and with Sidney being the focus once again, it might finally be the time to bring back Billy Loomis’ accomplice as the mastermind in Scream 7.
Leave a Reply