Scream 7 director confirms this original star will lead the slasher sequel

Scream 7 will take the slasher franchise, and it will have some familiar faces from the first installment. The film is the seventh entry in the franchise and is a sequel to 2023's Scream VI. Directed by Kevin Williamson, the film is scheduled to be released on February 27, 2026, by Paramount Pictures.

Recently, Williamson revealed that a major character from the first film will be leading the forthcoming sequel film. That person is none other than Neve Campbell, who portrays Sidney Prescott in the first film and its four sequels. With Campbell's return, we can guess that fans of the first film might tune in for the sequel.

Neve Campbell to lead Scream 7

A still from Scream | Image via YouTube/Miramax

As per Collider, Kevin Williamson spoke about Scream 7 at the ATX TV Festival. He revealed that the sequel will also feature Sidney Prescott:

“The company pitched it to me because they said, ‘This is going to be about Sidney Prescott. It needs to be about Sidney.’ That’s why I would want to do it. I do think there’s a world we haven’t tapped into — we’ve never gone home with her, who she is today, and we don’t know what her life is about. I want to know those things.”

He further spoke about how Neve Campbell opted out of Scream VI due to payment issues:

“There was this big thing about the pay discrepancy, but it was also about the part. It was like, ‘You want me to show up at the end of a movie with a gun and help everyone shoot Ghostface? That’s great. I’ll do it.’ She was happy, but she’d also wanted a part. Actresses want to play parts.”

The director further spoke about finally working with her:

“So we were able to tap into that and find a way in. Working with Neve, we did it together. She was with me every step of the way, and she was so supportive and so helpful. She walked me through a lot of it. I hope it shows, but we had a blast.”

Scream 7 will also mark the return of Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers and David Arquette as Dewey Riley. Besides them, Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley are also in the film in undisclosed roles. Other cast members include: