New ‘Scream 7’ Plot Details: Sidney Battles Parenthood After Survival

Warning: Major spoilers from previous Scream movies are included in this story.

The Scream franchise, renowned for Sidney Prescott’s survival of many Ghostface attackers, was restarted in 2022 following a seven-year pause after the passing of director Wes Craven. Neve Campbell, who plays Sidney, returned to the franchise after her absence in 2023’s Scream VI. In the forthcoming Scream 7, Sidney’s character will be the focus as she deals with the challenges of parenthood after surviving countless violent attacks. More action, suspense and betrayals are to be expected as the movie is set to release in 2026.

– The Scream franchise continues, nearly 30 years since the original movie debuted in 1996, with the release of “Scream 7” set for February 27, 2026.
– Original actors Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette are returning, with Campbell wanting less gore and more suspense in the new film.
– Actors Matthew Lillard, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown also return alongside a host of new additions, and the script is being directed by Kevin Williamson.
– The film will focus more on Campbell’s character Sidney, highlighting her family and struggles with her past.

This article contains significant spoilers from previous Scream movies.

Be ready for an imminent caller-unknown phone call.

The Scream franchise, for nearly 30 years, depicted lead character Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) surviving various killers hidden behind the Ghostface mask who aim to kill her, her friends, and anyone else who poses an obstacle.

Scream, directed by Wes Craven and released in 1996, kickstarted the franchise and all its sequels until 2011’s Scream 4. After Craven’s death in 2015, the series was resurrected in 2022 with Scream, directed by Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin. The film is a homage to Craven and sees the return of Campbell, alongside other original stars Courteney Cox and David Arquette. However, Campbell did not reappear in the latest sequel, Scream VI in 2023.

Key elements missing from the future of the franchise are Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, who led the two revived movies. Both were cast in Scream 7 until Barrera was dismissed due to controversial social media posts about the Israeli-Palestinian war in November 2023. Ortega also decided to leave the project not long after Barrera’s departure.

Over the three years since the franchise reboot, the new Ghostface villains have been more violent than ever. In über-fan Ashley Cullins’ Scream tell-all book, Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror, Scream 7’s director Kevin Williamson revealed that Campbell, returning to the series, wanted to minimize gore and rather focus on suspense.

Meanwhile, Scream 7 is already creating a buzz with hints of surprise character comebacks and stunning plot twists.

Here is the comprehensive detail The Hollywood Reporter has on the next sequel.

On October 1, 2024, Campbell and Kevin Williamson, the author of Craven’s ’96 film script, jointly announced on Instagram that Scream 7 will hit the screens on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026.

The conclusion of Scream VI showed Barrera and Ortega escape unscathed after brutal attacks from three Ghostfaces: Detective Bailey (Dermot Mulroney), Quinn Bailey (Liana Liberato) and Ethan Landry (Jack Champion). There are more survivors, including siblings Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding) that continue their journey in the movie serialized universe.

In March 2024, Campbell was the first to confirm her return to the franchise after not appearing in Scream VI due to a salary dispute. She expressed gratitude and excitement about returning for Scream 7, in Cullins’ book. Cox confirmed her reappearance in December 2024 after she, once again, survived an attack in Scream VI.

David Arquette, former spouse of Cox in real life and within the franchise story, joined the project in March 2025. However, the resurrection of his character, Dewey, who was killed off in the 2022 Scream film, remains unexplained.

Matthew Lillard, who played one of the original co-Ghostface killers alongside Skeet Ulrich, and Scott Foley, the Ghostface from Scream 3 and Sidney’s half-brother, are also expected back along with new entries including Joel McHale, Anna Camp, Mckenna Grace, Isabel May, Michelle Randolph, Ethan Embry, Mark Consuelos, Jimmy Tatro, Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann and Sam Rechner.

Kevin Williamson will direct Scream 7, succeeding Christopher Landon who left the project due to death threats from fans criticising the departure of Barrera. In Cullins’ book, Landon maintained he had no control over Barrera’s sacking and consequently decided to leave the project.

James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick are on the scriptwriting team, and the original composer Marco Beltrami will return to score the seventh installment. Paramount hasn’t released an official logline but Sidney Prescott is set to have a significant focus in the film. A tease to the plot by Campbell and Williamson suggests a focus on Sidney’s family life and that Sidney’s character will continue to hold the title of the iconic final girl.