Many consider the first day of October to be the official start of spooky season, so it’s only fitting that horror fans received big news about one of the genre’s biggest franchises.Scream VIIwas announced some time ago, but it was unclear when Ghostface would be unleashed on moviegoers once again. As it turns out, it looks like Ghostface needs a bit more time to sharpen his (or her) knife because the film is arriving later than most fans likely expected.
Persocial mediaposts from franchise star Neve Campbell andScreamcreator Kevin Williamson,Scream VIIwill be released in theaters onFebruary 27, 2026. For those hoping that filming would be underway soon enough to guarantee a 2025 release, this might come as disappointing news, but fans should be happy that the creatives aren’t trying to rush the film for the sake of making a quick buck. It appears all involved want to make sure they get the story right and this gives them plenty of time to do so. you’re able to check out the social media post below where Campbell indicates,“It’s gonna be a killer 2026!”
Developing Scream VII Has Been Killer
The road toScream VIIhas been a rough one. After 2023’sScream VIdebuted to a franchise-best opening of $44.4 million on its way to an impressive $166.3 million worldwide, the seventh film was quickly greenlit, but it would all be turned upside down by a series of unfortunate events. Melissa Barrera, who led 2022’sScreamand the sixth installment as Sam Carpenter,was fired by Spyglass Media Groupfor sharing what they believed to be posts promoting antisemitism related to the conflict in Gaza. Barrera quickly earned the support of fans of the franchise, who felt her firing was unjust and unnecessary.
Scream Franchise Veteran Has ‘Extreme FOMO’ Over Scream 7
“I’m really excited to see what Kevin does.”
The very next day after Barrera’s firing was made public, Jenna Ortega, who appeared in the aforementionedScreamfilms as Tara Carpenter, announced that she would not be returning for the seventh installment due to scheduling conflicts with the second season of Netflix’sWednesday. Ortega emerged as a true star following her appearance in the 2022 film, with most industry insiders believing she played a big role in the sixth film’s impressive opening weekend. While the scheduling conflict was given as the official cause of her departure, another report suggested that it came down to adispute over moneywith Spyglass Media Group.
In the midst of this,ScreamandScream VIIdirectors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett also departed the franchise, replaced byHappy Death Daydirector Christopher Landon. Once the news of Barrera’s firing made headlines and Ortega jumped ship, Landon announced that hewould not be directingthe sequel. An official reason for Landon’s exit wasn’t given, but he made it clear in a social media post that his dream of directing aScreamfilm soon became a real-life nightmare following all the behind-the-scenes drama.
Once the dust settled, Campbell announced that she was returning to theScreamfranchise after sitting the sixth film out due to a pay dispute with Spyglass (we sense a trend). Campbell took to her Instagram to announce the seventh installment and that Williamson, who created the franchise back in 1996, would be directing the project. The news pleased fans of Campbell’s final girl, Sidney Prescott, but some also viewed it as a diss to Barrera, who many believed shouldn’t have been let go in the first place.
The recent release date news comes after Courteney Cox, who has played Gale Weathers in everyScreaminstallment, revealed that she hasnot officially signed onforScream VII. She did indicate she was in the know about the project, and it should be noted that her response regarding the sequel felt more like a typical Hollywood non-answer. She’s more than likely to return but hasn’t finalized her deal. There have also been reports that Patrick Dempsey isexpected to be on boardas Mark Kincaid, a role he originated inScream 3.
