'Scream VI' to Become First Movie in Franchise to Cross $100M at Domestic Box Office in 26 Years

Scream 2 was the last film in the saga to hit the milestone, back in 1997

Audiences are still screaming for Scream.

The latest film in the slasher franchise, Scream VI, is poised to hit a major box-office milestone Thursday, becoming the first in the series to cross the $100 million mark domestically since 1997's Scream 2, reports Variety.

By comparison, the first film — 1996's Scream, starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Jamie Kennedy and Drew Barrymore — scared up just over $103 million at the box office over its North American theatrical run.

As for subsequent installments, Scream 2 ended its domestic run with $101.4 million, while Scream 3 (2000) made $89.1 million, Scream 4 (2011), $38.2 million, and 2022's Scream (a.k.a. Scream 5), $81.6 million.

In addition to original star Cox, 58, and Scream 4 survivor Hayden Panettiere, the newest film sees the return of franchise newcomers Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding, after they debuted in 2022's Scream.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Related: Scream VI Scares Up Franchise Best with $43.5 Million Opening Weekend

In the new film, the survivors of the previous installment face off against a whole new Ghostface — one that seems even more murderous and sadistic than its predecessors — against a New York City backdrop.

The latest installment sees Tara (Ortega, 20), Mindy (Brown, 29) and Chad (Gooding, 26) heading to the Big Apple to attend the fictional Blackmore University, with Sam (Barrera, 32) tagging along to protect her younger sister, Tara.

An official synopsis reads, "The Scream saga continues with the four survivors of the Ghostface killings as they leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter."

Back in June 2022, Campbell — who has played the starring role of final girl Sidney Prescott in every Scream film since the 1996 original — announced her "very difficult decision" not to return to the franchise.

"As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream," the actress, 49, said in a statement. "I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise."

RELATED VIDEO: Scream VI Cast Gush Over "Mama Hen" Courteney Cox: "She Checks on Us" and "It's Genuine"

That August, Campbell opened up further to PEOPLE about her decision to step away, saying it was "truly" just "negotiation"-related.

But also she said she wasn't sure whether she was "done for good" with the franchise: "It would really depend on what they came to me with next. It would have to be different. It would have to be a different attitude, and I'm not sure that's going to happen."

In PEOPLE's first digital cover story last month, Barrera admitted it was "weird" not having Campbell back for Scream VI. But, she said, Campbell's stance was "very brave" and "important."

"This job requires so much of us, not only physically [but] mentally and emotionally. You need to feel like it's worth it," Barrera said when asked about her response to Campbell's statement.

"A part of it is: Are you getting compensated fairly for what you think you're putting into the work? If you don't, you're going to be miserable, so you shouldn't do it," she added. "I applaud her always."

Scream VI is in theaters now.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.