Ghostface is back in theaters with Scream 7, starring Neve Campbell. Is there any indication that another sequel will happen?
Scream 7 opened in theaters nationwide on Friday, just shy of three years after Scream VI premiered in March 2023 and went on to become a worldwide hit. Scream 7 finds Sidney Prescott (Campbell), her husband, Mark (Joel McHale) and their 17-year-old daughter, Tatum (Isabel May) living a quiet life in Pine Grove, Ind., far away from Sidney’s traumatic past involving the Ghostface killer in Woodsboro, Calif.
Sidney’s life is thrown into complete disarray, however, when she receives a call from the Ghostface killer with a threat to kill Tatum, who is the same age that Sidney was during the events of the first Scream movie in 1996.
Like any franchise, the future of Scream largely depends on the financial success of each of its installments, and it already appears that Scream 7 is going to be a huge hit for Paramount Pictures. As of Saturday, Deadline projected a $60 million-plus domestic opening weekend for Scream 7, a tally that blows far past its pre-release projections of $40 million for its first Friday to Sunday frame.
Whether the estimated domestic tally comes in above or below the $60 million mark, it will be more than enough to become the best domestic opening weekend debut for a Scream film in the franchise’s history. The record was previously held by Scream VI after it opened with $44.4 million in domestic ticket sales its first weekend in 2023.
Even better news for Paramount is that since the production budget for Scream 7 was $45 million (via Variety) before marketing costs — a modest number compared to most Hollywood franchises — the film appears to be well on its way to profitability. After its $44.4 million opening in 2023, Scream VI went on to earn $169 million worldwide, with $108.3 million of that coming from North American theaters. Scream VI had a production budget of $35 million before marketing.
With comparative numbers, it appears that Paramount green-lighting Scream 8 is all but a formality; that is, if the key creatives in the franchise are willing to get back onboard.
Neve Campbell And Kevin Williamson Are Game To Make ‘Scream 8’
Another important factor in the future of the Scream franchise is the participation of Neve Campbell, who, after a high-profile pay dispute, sat out Scream VI.
As such, having the face of the franchise — apart from Ghostface — no doubt benefited Paramount Pictures for Scream 7, so it’s promising news when Campbell is already thinking ahead to a potential Scream 8. Just as important, Kevin Williamson — who wrote the original Scream screenplay in 1996 and directed and co-wrote Scream 7 — is on board with Campbell’s idea for another installment.
“When you’re sitting on the set at 3 in the morning, you’re like, ‘Well, what would Scream 8 be about?’ And you just start spit-balling,” Williamson told Deadline on Wednesday. “And Neve had this great idea, and everyone seemed to run with it. So yeah, if this movie works and people want it, we’re here for the fans. So, if they want it, we’ll certainly give it to them.”
Rated R, Scream 7 also stars Courteney Cox, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Anna Camp, David Arquette, Roger L. Jackson, Michelle Randolph, Jimmy Tatro, Mckenna Grace, Asa Germann, Celeste O’Connor, Sam Rechner, Ethan Embry, Mark Consuelos, Tim Simons, Matthew Lillard and Joel McHale.
Scream 7 is new in theaters nationwide.
