Production company Spyglass is backing the project.
While the reviews were decidedly mixed, the most recent ‘Scream’ outing –– this past February’s ‘Scream 7’, which saw original writer Kevin Williamson direct for the first time –– has defied expectations and surged to more than $200 million at the global box office, a record for the venerable horror thriller franchise.
Neve Campbell stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream 7.’
Nothing is known about the new ‘Scream’ just yet. ‘Scream 7’ saw the return of Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott, who had to battle against more terror from a Ghost Face killer while also struggling to protect her family.
There’s a strong chance Sidney might return for the eighth film, and let’s not forget that Courteney Cox has played journalist Gale Weathers in every entry of the franchise.
When will ‘Scream 8’ be on screens?
Neither Spyglass nor regular studio Paramount has said anything about a release date for the new movie –– but we’d presume it’ll take a couple of years.
(L to R) Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox star in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream 7.’
With six previous movies, the franchise has gone on to gross over $900 million at the box office. The latest installment, ‘Scream 7‘, once again stars Campbell and Cox, and opens in theaters on February 27th.
In honor of the new film, Moviefone is counting down every ‘Scream’ movie ever made from worst to best, including the latest.
(L to R) Parker Posey and Courteney Cox Arquette in ‘Scream 3’. Photo: Dimension Films.
As bodies begin dropping around the Hollywood set of STAB 3, the third film based on the gruesome Woodsboro killings, Sidney (Neve Campbell) and other survivors are once again terrorized by another Ghostface killer.
Hayden Panettiere in ‘Scream 4’. Photo: Dimension Films.
Ten years after the original Woodsboro murders, one of the survivors returns home to promote their new book about surviving trauma, only for a new Ghostface killer to emerge, targeting a new group of teens.
Courteney Cox stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream 7.’
When a new Ghostface killer emerges in the quiet town where Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has built a new life, her darkest fears are realized as her daughter 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.
Neve Campbell (“Sidney Prescott”) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream.”
Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, a new killer has donned the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town’s deadly past.
rIvyeDc2vhvbAOxRqYyXU7
2. ‘Scream 2’ (1997)
Sarah Michelle Gellar in ‘Scream 2’. Photo: Dimension Films.
Two years after the Woodsboro murders, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) acclimates to college life while someone donning the Ghostface costume begins a new string of killings.
Drew Barrymore in ‘Scream’. Photo: Dimension Films.
A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl (Neve Campbell) is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.
(L to R) Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox star in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream 7.’
Following the divisive ‘Scream VI’ and the controversy that erupted after the firing of star Melissa Barrera from the series, the 30-year-old franchise has gone for the nostalgia gold with ‘Scream 7,’ which sees the return of original star Neve Campbell and original writer Kevin Williamson, who now also directs.
But any spark from their return to the franchise is not evident in this tired, often dull, and borderline nonsensical entry. If anything, ‘Scream 7’ proves that the franchise has become what it once poked fun at, a horror brand running on fumes and a convoluted legacy that it forgets when necessary. It’s time for Ghostface to hang up the mask and robe.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Neve Campbell, and Director Kevin Williamson on the set of Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream 7.’
‘Scream 7’ begins with the now-standard opening set piece, in which a young couple (Jimmy Tatro and Michelle Randolph) who come to spend the night at a ‘Macher Murder House Experience’ end up sliced, diced, and roasted by the new Ghostface. The sequence is well-staged and the ‘Murder House’ idea clever – but it’s dropped immediately thereafter.
We then move on to the town of Pine Grove, where founding ‘Scream’ heroine Sidney Prescott, now Evans (Campbell), is living a quiet life with her police chief husband (Joel McHale) and her teenage daughter Tatum (Isabel May), the latter of which she has a strained relationship with. It isn’t very long, however, before Sidney gets a call from the new Ghostface – and alarmingly, a video call as well, in which the killer appears to be the allegedly dead Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), one of the original Ghostface murderers from the first ‘Scream.’
Sidney, her family, and some of her daughter’s friends are attacked, but the initial assault ends up being something of a diversionary tactic before the real games begin. Pine Grove goes into lockdown and a few old friends return as Ghostface begins mowing down everyone around Sidney and targeting both her and Tatum for death.
(L to R) Isabel May, and Director Kevin Williamson, on the set of Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream 7.’
From this rather thin narrative, ‘Scream 7’ spins out a few ideas about AI and Hollywood’s endless thirst for nostalgia, only to do little with them. The same goes for the cast: while Campbell is a welcome presence of course, the rest of the ensemble is a bland cluster of actors who stand around waiting to get killed or looking suspicious. Speaking of which, we guessed who was behind the Ghostface killings pretty early on, but that doesn’t stop the finale – including the revelation of the killers – from being perhaps the weakest of the entire franchise, with motivations that don’t even make much sense capping a third act that tosses away almost all story logic.
References to earlier entries abound, including ‘Scream VI,’ and two characters from that film show up just to let us know that the franchise is not going to pretend that that NYC-based adventure never happened. But regardless, everything here has a detectable lack of energy, and both cast and filmmakers seem to largely go through the motions. Some of the kills are gleefully sadistic and creatively staged, but those and, again, Campbell’s return are about the only bright spots we can find.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) McKenna Grace, Celeste O’Connor and Isabel May star in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream 7.’
As we said, Neve Campbell’s return is a welcome one; she has an earthy, no-nonsense attitude that grounds her performance. But even she has trouble keeping her energy up, especially during some of the film’s tedious dialogue sequences, with most of her real fire coming in the confrontations with Ghostface. It doesn’t help that the younger, newer cast members around her don’t really get the chance to display much personality.
As for Courteney Cox, the franchise’s other longstanding charter member shows up during the second act and mostly disappears for the third – while we appreciate that this is a Sidney-centric story, it’s too bad Gale doesn’t have more to do. Other legacy cast members in the film – most of which have been made public, like David Arquette and Scott Foley – are really just rolled out in service of the nostalgia that the film ostensibly wants to satirize.
Final Thoughts
Neve Campbell stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream 7.’
Kevin Williamson returns to the ‘Scream’ saga for the first time since 2011’s well-regarded ‘Scream 4,’ but he and co-writer Guy Busick don’t seem to have anything new to deploy this time (it would have been interesting to see what ‘Happy Death Day’ writer/director Christopher Landon, who left the first version of ‘Scream 7’ after Barrera was fired and Jenna Ortega departed, might have done with the mythos). As a visualist he’s not that savvy here either: much of the film is shrouded in darkness that makes it hard to see the strikingly plentiful gore.
Those gruesome effects, the flashy murders, and Campbell may all be enough to draw both ‘Scream’ diehards and casual fans back to the theater, but it’s not enough to creatively sustain a franchise that has all but abandoned the rules and underlying premise that once made it seem revolutionary. After seven films, it’s time for ‘Scream’ to let silence reign.
Sidney Prescott has built a new life for herself in the quiet town of Pine Grove, Indiana, until a new Ghostface killer begins to target her daughter Tatum, forcing her to face her past and end the killings once and for all.
David Arquette in Paramount Pictures “Scream.” Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Preview:
David Arquette will be back as Dewey Riley ‘Scream 7.’
He is returning in a “surprise” way.
Original writer Kevin Williamson is directing.
From the sounds of it, legacy will be a heavy theme in ‘Scream 7.’ Not that the more recent outings of the franchise haven’t carried that, featuring younger relatives of some of the classic characters.
xn1Putz3RwmjIHJsUIliM6
But the new entry in the franchise, currently being shot by original writer Kevin Williamson in Georgia, has yet another link to the past, with Deadline reporting that David Arquette is back.
Arquette, of course starred as fan-favorite Deputy Dewey Riley, who first appears in the franchise’s original ‘Scream’ film as the older brother of Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan) and the clumsy police deputy trying to help solve the murders in their town of Woodsboro focused on Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell).
Tatum was the fifth victim of the Woodsboro Murders serial killers, which affected Dewey immensely.
Dewey, who also appeared in the other three original ‘Scream’ movies, eventually got his happy ever after, marrying Courteney Cox’s Gale Weathers, though the pair were revealed to have divorced in the years leading up to 2022’s ‘Scream’ reboot, which continued the story.
(L to R) David Arquette and Courteney Cox in Paramount Pictures “Scream.”
And to add insult to injury (actually, more like fatal stabbing injury to insult), Dewey is slaughtered by Ghostface (in this case, with Amber Freeman, played by Mikey Madison, in the disguise) in that film.
Yet we can now add him to the list of characters who will return in some reportedly “surprise” way following word of Matthew Lillard (Stu) and Scott Foley (Roman Bridger) coming back.
Both Stu and Roman were revealed in their respective films to be lurking under the Ghostface disguise (Stu working with Skeet Ulrich’s Billy Loomis) and trying to off Sidney. And both –– spoiler alert in case this is your introduction to the ‘Scream’ movie series –– are dead, Stu at the hands (and a handy TV to the head) of Sid and Roman shot by Dewey in ‘Scream 3.’
Still, we’ve seen ‘Scream’ characters return before; Billy himself shows up as a ghostly presence advising Melissa Barrera’s Sam Carpenter in ‘Scream VI.’
Neve Campbell (“Sidney Prescott”) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream.”
There are no details yet on what the latest film will feature, though given that Campbell is back as Prescott and May is playing her daughter, you know it’ll factor into their family.
One other element of that? The fact that Sidney is now married to a man named Mark Evans, who it was recently revealed, will be played by Joel McHale.
What has happened with ‘Scream 7’ so far?
Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
To this point, the development of the next ‘Scream’ installment has been more trouble than a scorned lover throwing on a cloak and a Ghostface mask to hunt their friends.
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett effectively rebooted the ‘Scream’ franchise with 2002’s ‘Scream’ and followed it up with this year’s ‘Scream VI’, opted to move on after their second effort, choosing instead to make vampire movie ‘Abigail’, which arrived this year.
Production company Spyglass Media Group found a suitable replacement in Christopher Landon, who previously directed the ‘Happy Death Day’ movies and ‘Freaky’, but then things started to go wrong.
Melissa Barrera fired from ‘Scream VII’
(L to R) Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter) and Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
Melissa Barrera was dropped from the franchise for social media posts supporting Palestine in the tragic, ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
While calling for a cease fire in the conflict might not seem all that controversial, some of the reposts on Barrera’s Instagram account have edged over into potentially troubling opinions.
‘Scream’ production company Spyglass issued a statement on the situation:
“Spyglass’ 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.”
That was followed by word that her co-star, Jenna Ortega, would not then be returning fir the new movie. Ortega’s departure was chalked up to schedule clashes with Season 2 of Netflix hit series ‘Wednesday’, and indeed the decision was reportedly made months before Barrera’s statement and subsequent firing. The timing, though, remains somewhat suspicious.
With his main stars absent, Landon also quit the movie, citing that it had become a nightmare in development.
Neve Campbell talks ‘Scream’ return
Neve Campbell (“Sidney Prescott”) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream.”
Here’s what Campbell had to say on the news of her return:
“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.”
(Left) Matthew Lillard in 1996’s ‘Scream’. Photo: Dimension Films. (Right) Scott Foley in ‘Scream 3’. Photo: Dimension Films.
Preview:
Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley will both appear in ‘Scream 7.’
Details on their return are a mystery for now.
Original writer Kevin Williamson is on board to direct.
Looks like Kevin Williamson is ready to invoke some ghost(face)s of ‘Scream’ past for the new movie.
With production having ramped up in Atlanta, Williamson, who of course wrote the first two original ‘Scream’ movies (and ‘Scream 4’) is stepping up to direct this time.
And ‘Scream 7’s script –– from Guy Busick, who wrote the last couple of outings contains return appearances for a franchise stalwart and an actor from the third movie.
Yes, veteran ‘Scream’ fans will no doubt be excited to learn that Matthew Lillard, who played horror movie obsessive Stuart ‘Stu’ Macher in the first film, is back, per Deadline.
xn1Putz3RwmjIHJsUIliM6
And he’s not the only one, as the trade site also reports that Scott Foley, who played Roman Bridger, the antagonist half-brother of Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) in ‘Scream 3’, is also returning.
Which brings us to our next question… how? Both Stu and Roman were revealed in their respective films to be lurking under the Ghostface disguise (Stu working with Skeet Ulrich’s Billy Loomis) and trying to off Sidney. And both –– spoiler alert in case this is your introduction to the ‘Scream’ movie series –– are dead, Stu at the hands (and a handy TV to the head) of Sid and Roman was shot by Deputy Dewey Riley (David Arquette).
Still, we’ve seen ‘Scream’ characters return before; Billy himself shows up as a ghostly presence advising Melissa Barrera’s Sam Carpenter in ‘Scream VI.’
Plus, Lillard’s Instagram post teasing his return doesn’t hint at some twin twist…
There are no details yet on what the latest film will feature, though given that Campbell is back as Prescott and May is playing her daughter, you know it’ll factor into the Prescott family.
Director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, left, and Director Tyler Gillett on the set of Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
To this point, the development of the next ‘Scream’ installment has been more trouble than a scorned lover throwing on a cloak and a Ghostface mask to hunt their friends.
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett effectively rebooted the ‘Scream’ franchise with 2002’s ‘Scream’ and followed it up with this year’s ‘Scream VI’, opted to move on after their second effort, choosing instead to make vampire movie ‘Abigail’, which arrived this year.
Production company Spyglass Media Group found a suitable replacement in Christopher Landon, who previously directed the ‘Happy Death Day’ movies and ‘Freaky’, but then things started to go wrong.
Melissa Barrera fired from ‘Scream VII’
(L to R) Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter) and Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
While calling for a cease fire in the conflict might not seem all that controversial, some of the reposts on Barrera’s Instagram account have edged over into potentially troubling opinions.
‘Scream’ production company Spyglass issued a statement on the situation:
“Spyglass’ 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.”
That was followed by word that her co-star, Jenna Ortega, would not then be returning fir the new movie. Ortega’s departure was chalked up to schedule clashes with Season 2 of Netflix hit series ‘Wednesday’, and indeed the decision was reportedly made months before Barrera’s statement and subsequent firing. The timing, though, remains somewhat suspicious.
With his main stars absent, Landon also quit the movie, citing that it had become a nightmare in development.
Neve Campbell talks ‘Scream’ return
Neve Campbell (“Sidney Prescott”) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream.”
Here’s what Campbell had to say on the news of her return:
“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.”
As for Foley, his career has varied between movies and TV, favoring the latter, with appearances in such shows as ‘Felicity,’ ‘Scrubs,’ ‘True Blood’ and ‘Scandal.’
When will ‘Scream 7’ be in theaters?
‘Scream 7’ will release in theaters worldwide via Paramount Pictures on February 27th, 2026.
Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
(L to R) David Arquette and Courteney Cox in Paramount Pictures “Scream.”
Preview:
Courteney Cox will be back as Gale Weathers for ‘Scream 7.’
Original writer Kevin Williamson is on board to direct.
Neve Campbell is returning to star as Sidney Prescott.
It has apparently ‘Scream 7’ Casting Week this week, as several actors have been added to the latest entry in the horror thriller franchise, which has original ‘Scream’ writer Kevin Williamson aboard direct.
And to round things off, there is news today via Variety that franchise veteran Courteney Cox is joining fellow stalwart Neve Campbell in the new movie.
Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
Cox, of course, plays Gale Weathers, the sharp and ambitious news reporter-turned-author who’s often found herself at the center of the Ghostface killings, and has appeared in every instalment to date.
Her return looked less likely back in September, with Cox telling Variety that she was not officially signed on, but seemingly happy with the choice of Williamson to direct, admitting that “it’s going to be fun.” It appears she’s found a good reason to come back (probably several million reasons).
Williamson will be working from a script by Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt, who worked on the most recent outings.
xn1Putz3RwmjIHJsUIliM6
What’s the story of ‘Scream 7’?
(L to R) Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and Executive Producer Kevin Williamson on the set of Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s 2022’s ‘Scream.’
There are no details yet on what Williamson’s film will feature, but with Campbell’s return as Sidney Prescott and Isabel May playing Sidney’s daughter, chances are the Prescott family will be in the spotlight.
This also opens the door up for a potential return from Detective Mark Kincaid, played by Patrick Dempsey, who met Sidney when he was investigating the murders that happen in ‘Scream 3’ and ended up married with a family.
Kincaid has not been glimpsed since that movie, but Sidney does call him on the phone in one of the more recent entries. Dempsey has yet to be confirmed as coming back.
Then, Variety brought word that Mason Gooding, who played Chad Meeks-Martin in both 2022’s ‘Scream’ and 2023’s ‘Scream VI,’ would return as the character in the new movie.
There’s no word yet on whether Jasmin Savoy Brown, who appeared as Chad’s sister Mindy in both movies, will join her screen sibling.
Director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, left, and Director Tyler Gillett on the set of Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
To this point, the development of the next ‘Scream’ installment has been more trouble than a scorned lover throwing on a cloak and a Ghostface mask to hunt their friends.
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett effectively rebooted the ‘Scream’ franchise with 2002’s ‘Scream’ and followed it up with this year’s ‘Scream VI’, opted to move on after their second effort, choosing instead to make vampire movie ‘Abigail’, which arrived this year.
Production company Spyglass Media Group found a suitable replacement in Christopher Landon, who previously directed the ‘Happy Death Day’ movies and ‘Freaky’, but then things started to go wrong.
Melissa Barrera fired from ‘Scream VII’
(L to R) Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter) and Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
While calling for a cease fire in the conflict might not seem all that controversial, some of the reposts on Barrera’s Instagram account have edged over into potentially troubling opinions.
‘Scream’ production company Spyglass issued a statement on the situation:
“Spyglass’ 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.”
That was followed by word that her co-star, Jenna Ortega, would not then be returning fir the new movie. Ortega’s departure was chalked up to schedule clashes with Season 2 of Netflix hit series ‘Wednesday’, and indeed the decision was reportedly made months before Barrera’s statement and subsequent firing. The timing, though, remains somewhat suspicious.
With his main stars absent, Landon also quit the movie, citing that it had become a nightmare in development.
Neve Campbell talks ‘Scream’ return
Neve Campbell (“Sidney Prescott”) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream.”
Here’s what Campbell had to say on the news of her return:
“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.”
Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
Preview:
Courteney Cox is in talks for the next ‘Scream’ movie.
If she signs up, she’ll return alongside Neve Campbell.
Longtime writer Kevin Williamson is directing.
Are things finally turning around for the ‘Scream’ franchise? It has been hit with various issues in the last year or so, losing cast and filmmakers.
But now there is some positive news to report, with Neve Campbell returning to the iconic role of Sidney Prescott and now, according to Variety, Courteney Cox –– who has been a part of the ‘Scream’ films since the start and has appeared in all of them to date, in talks to once more return.
(L to R) David Arquette and Courteney Cox in Paramount Pictures “Scream.”
Cox plays the role of Gale Weathers, a scoop-hunting journalist who senses a juicy story when Campbell’s Sidney is threatened by masked killers following her mother’s death.
Initially an annoyance for Sidney, the two become friends as they deal with various incarnations of the killer (or killers), and Weathers ended up married to sheriff’s deputy Dewey (David Arquette). The pair later divorced, and Dewey (spoiler alert) perished in 2022’s legacy sequel entry ‘Scream’, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.
Neve Campbell back for ‘Scream’
Neve Campbell (“Sidney Prescott”) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream.”
“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.”
“It’s been nearly 30 years since my very first script, ‘Scream,’ was directed by the legendary Wes Craven. I never would have predicted what it would become. Or that I would be directing the seventh installment of the franchise. I am overcome with gratitude and excitement, and I can’t wait to take this journey with Neve and the entire ‘Scream’ family as we bring back Sidney Prescott in the next chapter of the ‘Scream’ franchise. Thank you to all the ‘Scream’ fans. You are the gift that keeps giving.”
The Trouble with ‘Scream VI’
(L to R) Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter) and Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
This newest ‘Scream’ movie has had a troubled development, as production Spyglass fired star Melissa Barrera over posts regarding the Israel-Hamas War that the company viewed as antisemitic, and Jenna Ortega dropped out due to apparent scheduling conflicts. ‘Happy Death Day’ director Christopher Landon was hired to handle the movie, but he also left, citing the “nightmare” of the film’s various issues.
But with Campbell, Williamson and now Cox returning, it’s finally back on some sort of solid path to screens.
(L to R) Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and Executive Producer Kevin Williamson on the set of Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s 2022’s ‘Scream.’
(L to R) David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry in HBO Max’s ‘Friends: The Reunion.’ Photography by Terence Patrick.
Preview
‘Friends’ actor Matthew Perry is dead at 54.
His TV and movie also career included ‘The Whole Nine Yards’, ‘Fools Rush In’ and ‘The West Wing’
Colleagues and co-stars, including Paget Brewster, paid tribute.
Matthew Perry, who became hugely famous thanks to his role on iconic TV sitcom ‘Friends’, has died at the age of 54.
He was reportedly found in a jacuzzi at his home, but the investigation is ongoing. He’ll be remembered primarily for his work on ‘Friends’ but enjoyed a long career on screens big and small.
Matthew Perry: Early Life and Pre-‘Friends’ career
(L to R) Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, and Lisa Kudrow in HBO Max’s ‘Friends: The Reunion.’ Photograph by Courtesy of HBO Max.
Matthew Langford Perry was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on August 19th, 1969. He was raised in Ottawa, Canada, where he attended elementary school alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
His mother, Suzanne Morrison, was a journalist and press secretary to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, Justin’s father, while his father, John Bennett Perry, was an actor and model.
Perry made his television debut in 1979 on an episode of ‘240-Robert’ (which starred his father). After moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting, he would go on to book roles in shows like ‘Not Necessarily the News’, ‘Charles in Charge’, ‘Silver Spoons’, ‘Just the Ten of Us’ and ‘Highway to Heaven’. Perry became a series regular on ‘Boys Will be Boys’, which premiered in 1987 and ran for a single season.
In 1989 he had a recurring role on ‘Growing Pains’ followed by a series regular role on ‘Sydney’. He’d continue to guest star on shows like ‘Who’s the Boss?’ ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’, and ‘Dream On’.
In 1993 he was a series regular on ‘Home Free’, but his big break would come the following year.
(L to R) Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow in HBO Max’s ‘Friends: The Reunion.’ Photography by Terence Patrick.
Across 10 seasons, ‘Friends’ was the most successful comedy series of the ‘90s, earning different generations of fans during its run and in more recent times since younger audiences have discovered it via Netflix.
Perry, along with his colleagues, would end up earning a huge $1 million fee per episode.
And though he never reached the heights of, say, his co-star Aniston in terms of movie fame, he appeared on a variety of shows and films following his time on the series.
His post-friends TV work included appearances on ‘The West Wing’, ‘Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip’ and ‘Mr. Sunshine’, a sitcom he co-created that lasted for nine episodes. A reboot of ‘The Odd Couple’ fared better, lasting three seasons.
Which movies has Matthew Perry appeared in?
Matthew Perry stars in ’17 Again.’
Though it was not the focus of his career, Matthew Perry appeared in movies both before, during and after his stint on ‘Friends’.
(L to R) Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow in HBO Max’s ‘Friends: The Reunion.’ Photography by Terence Patrick.
Warner Bros. TV, the production company behind friends, issued a statement on his death:
“We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry. Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family. The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans.”
Paget Brewster, who appeared on ‘Friends’ hit Twitter to offer her own tribute:
I’m so very sad to hear about @MatthewPerry. He was lovely to me on Friends and every time I saw him in the decades after. Please read his book. It was his legacy to help. He won’t rest in peace though.. He’s already too busy making everyone laugh up there.
Perry was open about his battles with addiction to both alcohol and pills and spent a considerable amount of time and money getting sober. He ended up founding Perry House, a men’s sober living facility, in his old Malibu beach home. “I really lived life to its fullest and that got me in trouble from time to time,” he said in a US Weekly interview several years ago.
(L to R) Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc in HBO Max’s ‘Friends: The Reunion.’ Photography by Terence Patrick.
Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
Hacking its way into theaters on March 10th, ‘Scream VI’ represents the latest attempt to mine the sprawling serial slasher movie series.
How far is too far with franchise sequels? It’s something that was on the mind of 2022’s confusingly titled ‘Scream’, which looked to start a new chapter of the veteran horror franchise while, as is usual with these movies, grappling with the legacy of both the established storyline and the genre itself.
Directed by ‘Ready or Not’ duo Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, it was a savvy, sometimes scary success, though not the best entry in the franchise even given the ways it played with the concept. But its box office bonanza ($137 million worldwide from a $24 million budget) means the pair, alongside writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, are back for a second stab at Ghostface killings.
mEm8Zq5l2ZkjmSmCSSuBE7
What’s the story of ‘Scream VI’?
Picking up the story roughly one year since the events of last year’s ‘Scream’ “rebootquel”, which charted a new story around characters such as Jenna Ortega’s Tara Carpenter, Melissa Barrera’s Sam Carpenter and twins Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding), all of whom had links to either killers or victims from earlier movies.
Having survived the seemingly traditional slayings in their home of Woodsboro, California, the foursome have moved to New York City, where Tara, Chad and Mindy are attending college. They’re trying to put the past behind them –– especially Tara, who just wants to have fun with booze and boys –– but Sam is still haunted by the last round of killings and her actions. She’s even in therapy working through her feelings.
And she has extra reason to be concerned, as someone online is spreading the conspiracy theory that Sam actually framed the real killers, one that is taking root among the city’s citizens (witness an early encounter where someone throws a drink in her face and calls her a murderer).
You can imagine their shared horror, then, when the legacy of Ghostface appears to follow them to the big city, first via a pair of fellow college students and then in ways they truly did not predict. Fandom for the ‘Stab’ movies plays a big part in the new movie, as does legacy.
Which means that our heroes once more afraid for their lives again, Mindy outlining the rules of continuing franchises in true ‘Scream’ fashion and starting to suspect that the people around them could all be suspects…
(L to R) Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter) and Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
The cast for this one remain game and relatable, with Ortega and Barrera carrying the emotional load while Brown and Gooding bring the lore and the laughs. Courteney Cox, of course, still knows exactly how to sell Gale’s blend of cynicism and moxie (and her presence offers a little extra tension this time around given that the main characters are annoyed that she’s spun the tragedy of the previous movie into another cash grab book).
Hayden Panettiere returns from ‘Scream 4’ as Kirby Reed, and the team finds an interesting new avenue for her that feels distinct from some other legacy characters. And when the big revelations start to drop, they mostly feel organic.
The location shift from Woodsboro –– which is something that has only happened in a couple of other ‘Scream’ entries –– makes for some impressive new set pieces, including one set at a Bodega (where the owner of course has a shotgun stashed behind the counter) that puts the audience in mind of the raptor/kitchen scene in ‘Jurassic Park,’ a tense chase in an apartment building that features a high drop and a ladder and the main cast crammed into a crowded subway train that is full of people in costumes, including more than one Ghostface.
It also offers a new tone and feeling to the show, the dark streets and towering buildings of the city a fertile hunting ground for whoever is in the masked costume.
Hayden Panettiere (Kirby Reed) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
Are there problems with ‘Scream VI’?
One huge issue with any modern ‘Scream’ is the burden and bulk of the franchise. There have been six films now and so many different variations of killer (usually killers) that it’s hard to find something fresh for a new iteration. ‘Scream VI’ stretches this a little too thin in a few places, wanting to be so clever with the idea of the films’ legacy that it rolls around into a few dumb, unoriginal concepts.
Some of the new characters, by dint of where they end up, feel less developed, and while the opening scene (featuring someone from ‘Ready or Not’) looks to play on the idea of movie-series-within-the-movie ‘Stab’ as something that people study a little too closely, but is mostly played for cheap scares.
Neve Campbell (“Sidney Prescott”) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream.”
Do you miss Neve Campbell’s Sidney in ‘Scream VI’?
The big issue, and indeed test for the new movie is the absence of Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, who bowed out of appearing in this one because the studio offered her an embarrassingly low payday.
While franchises do survive without core cast members, Sidney’s absence is certainly felt, since she has been the heart of ‘Scream’ since the 1996 original. Yet her removal is not such a wound that the film collapses –– Courteney Cox is still around of course, and while Gale brings a different energy to the movie than Sidney, her link to the past is still welcome.
It’s also an opportunity to open the story up to other legacy characters such as Panettiere’s Reed, who has her own trauma to work through and is used in interesting fashion here.
Overall, ‘Scream VI’ tries a little too hard to squeeze in everything about the franchise, and the seams perhaps show a little more than in the directors’ previous outing. It’s still fun and energetic, though, and should please fans who have stuck with the movies this far.
‘Scream VI’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.
Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
‘Scream VI’ is produced by Paramount, Radio Silence, Project X Entertainment, and Spyglass Media Group. It is set to release in theaters on March 10, 2023.
Samara Weaving as Major O’Hara / Scarlett in ‘Snake Eyes.’
Cameras are rolling on the next ‘Scream’ Movie, which, while it’s being referred to as ‘Scream 6’, will more likely end up titled ‘Scream II’ or some immediate sequel variant, since the most recent movie was simply called ‘Scream’.
Weaving has experience with the directors – she starred as a young woman who marries into a wealthy family, only to discover their dark gaming traditions in ‘Ready or Not’, which was the movie that is partly responsible for the pair landing the job in the ‘Scream’ world.
Revolori, meanwhile, is more known for his work with Wes Anderson and acting as smug high schooler Flash Thompson in the latest three live-action ‘Spider-Man’ movies.
It has so far made more than $140 million worldwide and a sequel was announced almost as soon as it debuted. As it turns out, the creative team – which includes James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick once again co-writing the script – had already been figuring out what the next movie should be, which explains while it’s already in production.
Barrera, Brown, Gooding and Ortega are all officially confirmed to be coming back for more, having survived their encounter with the cloaked menace in the last movie, called, like the original, simply, ‘Scream’.
Spyglass Media and Paramount have yet to announce much about the story, save for the hint that it follows those four surviving younger characters leaving the town of Woodsboro behind to start a fresh chapter in their lives.
Also on board for this latest movie is veteran Courteney Cox, once more back as intrepid journalist Gale Weathers, plus Hayden Panettiere, returning as Kirby Reed, who last tangled with Ghostface-related terror in ‘Scream 4’.
“Sadly, I won’t be making the next ‘Scream’ film,” Campbell said in a statement. “As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to ‘Scream’. I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise.”
There have been rumors of a boosted offer to star not just in this next film but also a potential seventh outing, but nothing is official right now.
Whatever the final title is, the next ‘Scream’ will be dialing up some scares in theaters from March 31 next year.
