The Only Recap You Need Before Scream 7
At this point, one wonders why Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) isn't in permanent witness protection or hidden away in a solid-steel fortress, because it's a Ghostface epidemic as far as her life is concerned. Once again, she needs to fight for her survival and figure out who's after her in "Scream 7." Make sure you watch the video above to receive an abridged version of the entire "Scream" timeline before the 2026 film releases in theaters.
After Campbell turned down appearing in "Scream 6," she returns as the beloved final girl in "Scream 7," which also marks a much-heralded reunion with Kevin Williamson, the writer of the first film, "Scream 2," "Scream 4," and co-writer/director of the 2026 sequel. Other popular faces from the franchise, such as Courteney Cox and Matthew Lillard, also feature in the newest movie.
Much like with anything "Scream"-related, fans are abuzz with theories and worries about who survives and dies in the end. This is one series that loves to pull the rug out from under the audience and flip expectations, so anything is possible. Seriously, don't ever write off the possibility of a Ghostface, Leatherface, and Michael Myers crossover movie where they embark on the ultimate slasher spree. If "Freddy vs. Jason" can happen, so too can this dream — or nightmare — team-up.
Scream 7 will be much different than what it was supposed to be
It's no secret that 2022's "Scream" served as a passing of the baton from Sidney Prescott to Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) as the new lead of the franchise. The initial plans for "Scream 7" would have seen Sam and her sister, Tara (Jenna Ortega), return for another face-off against the latest person(s) under the Ghostface mask. "Happy Death Day" director Christopher Landon was also in place to direct the project after the departures of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who helmed the previous two films in the series.
In 2023, news broke that Melissa Barrera had been reportedly fired from "Scream 7" after she made comments about Israel. Ortega followed her out of the door, telling The Cut in 2025, "If 'Scream 7' wasn't going to be with that team of directors and those people I fell in love with, then it didn't seem like the right move for me in my career at the time." Landon would leave the project, too.
This resulted in an entire creative overhaul, and Kevin Williamson and Neve Campbell instead boarded "Scream 7." But what was the original plan here? According to Skeet Ulrich's comments to Entertainment Weekly, it would have seen Sam turn to the dark side like her father, Billy Loomis. "When we talked about coming back for 'Scream 5,'" he said, "it was a three-picture arc for Billy Loomis to slowly turn his daughter into the killer." Interesting stuff. Check out our "Scream" recap in the video above for more on what motivates that infamous white mask.