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Thanks to the success of Scream (2022) and Scream IV in 2023, it was no wonder that Scream 7 was officially announced. Ever since fans of the overwhelmingly popular slasher franchise first found out about the new movie, there was talk about which actors would return for Scream 7 and what the storyline would be. There have been some recent developments that make it unclear if there will even be a seventh film in the franchise at all.
While horror fans would enjoy seeing another Ghostface targeting Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and a group of teenagers, there are pros and cons to continuing the franchise.
Scream 7 Has Lost Its Stars And Directors
Although Matthew Lillard said he wouldn't be in Scream 7, two main cast members confirmed that they would be back: Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, who played sisters Sam and Tara. Now, both Barrera and Ortega are gone from the project. The horror movie doesn't have a director attached anymore, either. Christopher Landon is no longer directing Scream 7, and there has been no replacement yet.
Melissa Barrera's Horror Movies | Jenna Ortega's Horror Movies |
|---|---|
Scream (2022) | Insidious: Chapter 3 (2013) |
Bed Rest (2022) | The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020) |
Scream IV (2023) | Studio 666 (2022) |
Your Monster (2024) | X (2022) |
According to Variety, Melissa Barrera was fired from Scream 7 because of politically insensitive tweets. Then, in November 2022, Deadline reported that Jenna Ortega had exited Scream 7 due to a conflict with her filming schedule for season 2 of Netflix's Wednesday, which should answer some questions that were unexplored at the end of the very successful first season.
Why Scream 7 Should Not Move Forward
The main reason why Scream 7 shouldn't be made is the fact that one of the best new characters is now gone. Jenna Ortega has starred in several horror movies and her performance as Tara Carpenter is one of her strongest. After Tara survives Scream (2022), she starts a new life in New York City and is as spunky as ever in Scream VI. Fans were looking forward to seeing Tara stand up to a new Ghostface, and it's a shame that won't happen now.
There's also the fact that Neve Campbell turned down Scream VI. It was strange watching a new Scream without Sydney Prescott being sarcastic with Ghostface and proving that she can survive no matter what. Something was missing without this famous character, and Scream 7 would feel empty without her as well.
As for whether Campbell would ever play Sydney in Scream again, she said in an interview with People in August 2022:
"I don't know that I'm done for good. 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."
Why Scream 7 Should Move Forward
On the other hand, there are a few reasons why Scream 7 should still be made. Although it's too bad that Gale Weathers is the only legacy character who is left, she's still a fascinating and compelling enough character to warrant another film in the franchise. Thankfully, Gale doesn't die in Scream VI and she has an epic fight scene with Ghostface in New York City apartment that proves she is strong enough to survive yet another attack from a new masked killer. There's a lot of nostalgia surrounding the Scream franchise and Gale in particular since she is so closely tied to Sydney and Dewey.
Release Dates Of The Scream Movies
- Scream: 1996
- Scream 2: 1997
- Scream 3: 2000
- Scream 4: 2011
- Scream 5: 2022
- Scream IV: 2023
Another reason why Scream 7 should move forward is the fact that Scream is still one of the most influential horror franchises. Although 2022 was a stand-out year for horror and many impressive original movies are being released regularly, there is still a lot of interest in seeing Ghostface again. Scream has a reputation for being funny and clever, and there's still space for that in the genre.
What Scream Can Do To Succeed
If Scream 7 is still going to be made, it needs to do two things to succeed. The first is to find a new, unique, and creative Ghostface who has a logical reason for killing that hasn't been done before. When examining the motives of every Ghostface killer in Scream, several of them were trying to get revenge because of Sydney's mother Maureen Prescott. In the later films in the slasher franchise, the Ghostface killers want fame and attention. Scream 7 needs a killer (or two) who feels fresh. Scream VI did a great job of adding something new to the franchise with its New York City setting and the fact that Ghostface uses a shotgun. Scream 7 should continue that trajectory.
Scream 7 also needs a new main character who is a true horror movie final girl who is worthy of Sydney Prescott. They need to command attention, strength, and the determination to survive that Sydney has. Otherwise, horror fans will wish that the franchise had stopped with Scream VI.
It's possible that, if Jasmin Savoy-Brown's character Mindy Meeks-Martin returned to Scream 7, she could play that final girl role. As the actress told Comicbook.com:
"Well I would like to see Mindy in the third act. Selfishly, I just want to be around for that and, as she said at the end of [ Scream VI ], Oh, I missed the monologue again?' I would like to see her see the monologue. It would be interesting for her to have a phone call with Ghostface, for Ghostface to call her. I'm not sure what she would do with that, that could be really funny. Either of those, I would be happy with."
