Scream 7: Release date and latest cast news

It's not an exaggeration to say that Scream 7 has had a rocky road to cinema screens – with the controversial firing of Melissa Barrera and the exit of original director Christopher Landon leading to a a creative overhaul of the project.

The film now arrives in UK cinemas this weekend and the review embargo has just lifted, so was it worth the wait? Well, that depends on who you ask. At the time of writing, the film sits on just 43 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes after 37 reviews, the weakest score for the franchise in its history.

That said, our own Radio Times review came down largely on the positive side, awarding it 3 stars and declaring that despite "faults, plot holes and a dubious ending" the slasher franchise "still has its pleasures".

The film sees original franchise star Neve Campbell (The Lincoln Lawyer) back in the lead role as Sidney Prescott after she sat out the last film due to a pay dispute, while Courteney Cox also reprises her role as Gale Weathers.

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

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), Sam Rechner (Heartbreak High) and Ethan Embry (Grace and Frankie).

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

In addition, Scream 7 has also tapped some more established names, including Mark Consuelos, 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".

But it was eventually revealed at the beginning of 2025 that Dempsey would not be playing detective Mark Kincaid again.

Revealing why he’s not returning, the actor recently told Variety: “It just didn’t work out and we were dealing with the fires and everything that was going on and the schedule didn’t work out, unfortunately,”

While Dempsey won't be making a comeback, and we're still waiting for official confirmation of roles for other franchise players, including Hayden Panettiere's Kirby Reed, there are two surprising returnees who have been announced recently - Scott Foley and Matthew Lillard.

Foley previously portrayed antagonist Roman Bridger, the film director and half-brother of Sidney Prescott in Scream 3, who seemingly died at the end of that film. Meanwhile, Lillard played Stu Macher in the first film, another villainous character who bit the dust.

David Arquette will also be reprising his role as Dewey Riley, and Roger L Jackson's will be back as the voice of Ghostface.

How these returns will feature into the story remains to be seen, but its fair to say they've got fans excited about the new instalment.

Meanwhile, original star Skeet Ulrich – who appeared as hallucinations of Barrera's character in the last two instalments – revealed that he had been set to reprise his role before Barrera was fired.

"I used to know because part of coming back for five and six was being a part of seven," he told Deadline. "It was a three-picture arc for Billy Loomis, or the imagination of Billy Loomis in Melissa Barrera‘s character’s head. But when all that went down with her, obviously you lose her and you lose what’s in her head."

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."

The film's premiere in LA was met with a demonstration by pro-Palestine protestors in response to the firing of Barrera – who had spoken out against the destruction in Gaza – with the protest stating that its aims were to "draw attention to the industry’s widespread silencing of pro-Palestinian voices".

The demonstration was organised by a number of groups including Entertainment Labor for Palestine, Codepink LA, Musicians for Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace-Los Angeles, and Barrera herself appeared to respond to the show of support, posting an Instagram story that included a heart emoji and the words "I see you".

Meanwhile, asked about the protests, director Kevin Williamson told The Hollywood Reporter: "I saw them and my heart just sort of stopped. Look, we live in America. Everyone has a right to protest and everyone should be heard.

"And if you have your truth and if you want to stand up and be heard, you protest. That is your right in this country, and I stand by it. I support that 100 per cent."

Scream 7 plot: What is the film about?

The official plot synopsis reads: "A new Ghostface killer emerges in the quiet town where Sidney has built a new life, and her darkest fears are realized as her daughter (Isabel May) becomes the next target. Determined to protect her family, Sidney must face the horrors of her past to put an end to the bloodshed once and for all."

Campbell previously 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, before adding that the concept is along the same lines as Jamie Lee Curtis' return to the role of Laurie Strode in the Halloween franchise, 40 years after the original.

"They did pitch the concept to me, and it’s the reason that I jumped on board," Campbell said.

She added: "I love these movies, they are so much fun to be a part of, I'm so grateful for them, I could never have imagined being a part of a movie that would have lasted this many decades.”

Meanwhile, Scream 7 star Gooding recently teased that franchise villain Ghostface is “the most brutal he’s been” in the seventh instalment.

“It feels like an amplification of what’s came before, and there’s no better indication of that than Kevin Williamson, who wrote the original, coming back now to direct,” Gooding told Variety.

He added: “I think that Ghostface is absolutely the most brutal he’s been. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there’s some stuff that they do to the human body that I feel like Kevin is breaking new ground with.”

And it looks like this might not be the end for the franchise yet, with Williamson telling Deadline that he and Campbell had already begun planning ideas for an eighth instalment.

"When you’re sitting on the set at three in the morning, you’re like, 'Well, what would Scream 8 be about?' And you just start spit-balling," he said.

"And Neve had this great idea, and everyone seemed to run with it. So yeah, if this movie works and people want it, we’re here for the fans. So, if they want it, we’ll certainly give it to them.”

Is there a trailer for Scream 7?

Yes, a trailer has been released, and it shows Campbell's character Sidney and her daughter evading Ghostface.

Watch for yourself below:

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