Courteney Cox in talks to return for ‘Scream 7’

Another “Scream” franchise OG is getting back on board for “Scream 7.” 

Variety reports that Courteney Cox, who has played journalist Gale Weathers in every “Scream” movie, will reprise her role in the upcoming seventh installment. Cox is the only performer to appear in every “Scream” movie, and the only actress to play the same horror movie character in six films, a record she’ll be extending with “Scream 7.” 

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She’ll be joining Neve Campbell, who is returning to the “Scream” franchise as final girl Sidney Prescott after sitting out “Scream VI” over a pay dispute. “Scream” franchise creator Kevin Williamson is also getting involved again, taking over as director of “Scream 7.” He wrote the first, second, and fourth “Scream” movies and executive-produced the 2022 reboot “Scream” and its sequel “Scream VI.” 

The returns come during a time of turmoil for the “Scream” franchise. Reboot star Melissa Barrera was fired for making comments about the Israel-Hamas war that some – including production company Spyglass – deemed anti-semitic. Meanwhile, right around the same time Barrera was ousted, it was revealed fellow franchise star Jenna Ortega opted not to return. In the wake of the upheaval, original “Scream 7” director Christopher Landon left the project before it went into production. Plans for “Scream 7” were forced to change, leading to the return of Campbell and Williamson. 

No other cast members have been announced at this time, but we’re hoping Matthew Lillard returns as spree killer Stu Macher for the first time since the original “Scream.” (While Stu died in the first film, fans have long speculated that he could have survived his apparent demise; “Scream 6” featured a character dying similarly to Stu, a nod to the speculation.) Cox was last seen in “Scream 6,” where Gale almost met her end; the character was last reported to have survived an attack on her life. 

The “Scream” franchise, which was created by Williamson and director Wes Craven, is one of the most successful horror franchises of all time. It reinvigorated the slasher genre in the 1990s with its clever, self-aware take, and has gone on to gross nearly a billion dollars worldwide across its six installments.

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