Everything to Know About “Scream 7”

Following Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega's exits from the movie, here's everything to know about the upcoming 'Scream' sequel

The latest Scream installment has had some major shakeups.

Following the success of Scream VI, which scored the biggest opening weekend box office for the entire franchise when it was released in March, a seventh film was announced in August.

When asked by Variety about the potential for a sequel, producer Paul Neinstein said "We will continue to make these as long as they let us," and co-writer James Vanderbilt added, "Absolutely! It would be amazing to do this again."

Though the seventh film is still in the works, the franchise has hit a bump in the road as it has been reported that several cast members will no longer return for the sequel.

Recently, there was another major installment in the upcoming movie as Neve Campbell announced her anticipated return and confirmed that Kevin Williamson, who wrote the original 1996 Scream movie, will return to direct.

Here’s everything to know about the latest Scream sequel, ahead.

Related: Who Is Ghostface in 'Scream' ? A Guide to All the Killers in the Franchise

Which cast members are not returning for Scream 7?

In November 2023, it was announced that Melissa Barrera would no longer star in the upcoming film after she was removed from the cast due to her social media posts about the Israel-Hamas war, according to reports from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. Variety reported that insiders viewed Barrera's comments as antisemitic.

"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," Spyglass, the studio behind Scream 7, said in a statement to PEOPLE.

Barrera previously starred as Sam Carpenter in both 2022's Scream and Scream VI, where her character was introduced as Scream villain Billy Loomis’ (Skeet Ulrich) daughter. Her character was set to follow in the footsteps of Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott as the new franchise lead.

Shortly after Barrera’s exit was announced, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter reported that Jenna Ortega, who has starred in the last two Scream films as Barrera’s onscreen sister Tara Carpenter, is no longer expected to reprise her role for Scream 7.

Deadline reported that Ortega’s departure from the film was due to her busy filming schedule on the second season of Netflix's Wednesday and wrapping on filming for Beetlejuice 2.

Who is in the Scream 7 cast?

Following various cast shakeups, the official cast list remains unclear. However, after appearing in the previous installment, it was anticipated that Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown would reprise their roles in the new movie. After her character survived in Scream 6, it was also rumored that Courteney Cox would return as Gale Weathers.

In March 2024, Neve Campbell announced she would be reprising her role as Sidney Prescott for the new movie. Campbell first played the character in the original 1996 film Scream and returned for each of the sequels except in the 2023 sixth entry.

Who is directing Scream 7?

Following Wes Craven’s death in 2015, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett directed Scream 6 and 2022's Scream. However, when the seventh Scream was announced in August, it had a new director attached.

Christopher Landon, whose previous films include Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014), Freaky (2020) and Happy Death Day (2017), was slated to direct the upcoming movie, however, in December he shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he is no longer involved in the project.

"I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited Scream 7 weeks ago. This will disappoint some and delight others," Landon wrote in his post. "It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart did break for everyone involved. Everyone. But it’s time to move on."

"I have nothing more to add to the conversation other than I hope [original Scream director Wes Craven's] legacy thrives and lifts above the din of a divided world," the filmmaker shared. "What he and [producer/screenwriter Kevin Williamson] created is something amazing and I was honored to have even the briefest moment basking in their glow."

When Campbell announced her return, she also confirmed that Kevin Williamson, who wrote the original 1996 Scream movie, will direct the new movie as she shared a photo of the script.

What will Scream 7 be about?

An official plotline for the movie remains unclear, though we do know the creative team behind the project. Per Campbell's script shared on social media, the upcoming film was written by Guy Busick with a story by Busick and James Vanderbilt (both of whom worked on 2022's Scream and Scream VI).

When will Scream 7 be released?

The release date for the movie hasn't been announced yet. However, it’s anticipated that the movie could come out sometime in late 2024 or early 2025.

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