Scream 7 has faced back-to-back delays as fans eagerly wait for the installment to hit the big screen. The slasher film franchise has been the perfect eye candy for horror fans since the release of the original movie, Scream in 1996. The franchise continued snapping six installments so far while the upcoming addition awaits to move to production. It might seem like bad news as the movie is getting delayed, in contrast, the delays could actually be a good thing. Here’s why.
Scream 7— cast and reason behind the delay
Scream 6 was an astounding hit claiming a spectacular USD 169.1 million at the global box office from a production budget of just USD 35 million. The movie was also a critical darling and the Tyler Gillett, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin helmed project had every reason to be. However, scream queens Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega’s unexpected departure from the movie made quite a significant dent in the production process.
But the delay might actually work to the benefit of the Scream franchise. After Scream VI, which was released in 2023, and the departure of two main stars, Scream vet Neve Campbell is making a return alongside Sidney Prescott. Also, Courtney Cox remains Gale Weathers’ character who has maintained a presence in all the Scream films ever produced.
Melissa Barrera’s departure due to an online controversy and the absence of Ortega along with director Christopher Landon is what makes Campbell’s return more meaningful and quite important.
The production start date for Scream 7 which was originally meant for September 2024 has been moved to December 2024. “We were supposed to start in September but we’re going to start making it in December,” Campbell shared explaining the shift of schedule during an interview. Because some scheduling stuff has “happened between Kevin and myself so that everything lines up properly.”
The actor believes that it’s a good thing because she thinks they will have “sufficient time to get it rightly done.” The new installation will have Kevin Williamson who wrote the original 1996 movie, Scream as its director. Despite previous difficulties, additional preparation time for Campbell, Cox and Williamson should lead to a powerful installment within this series.
Although no formal announcement was made concerning when exactly they were going to release it, sometime towards late 2025 possibly stretching into early 2026 seems plausible.
Scream 7 is in good hands
Legendary director late Wes Craven directed the first four Scream movies but the new Scream was released in 2022 and Scream VI got their new directors through Radio Silence’s Tyler Gillett, and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, who directed the recent hit, Abigail.
During the premiere of Scream VI, the director duo was asked for a possible Scream 7, to which they said, “We have our hopes!” The directors added that they want to be associated with the future Scream movies, “whether we are involved or not, till the end of our lives.” Nevertheless, the project had to be postponed as the two filmmakers, having been attached to the Universal Monsters movie Abigail.
Initially, Christopher Landon who has several astonishing horror credits to his name including Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, Happy Death Day, and Freaky was offered as the new director. However, with Ortega and Barrera’s departure, Landon also exited from the project.
Finally, Kevin Williamson is all geared up to helm Scream 7. Williamson wrote the original Scream, and several other horror projects including, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream 2, The Faculty, and Halloween H20.
The narrative of the seventh installment of the franchise comes from the minds of James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick with Busick writing the movie. So, it is fair to say that Scream 7 is in good hands considering Williamson has been a veteran of the franchise who knows the crux of the movie series that is close to surpassing the USD 1 billion mark and the forthcoming installment would propel the franchise to exceed the box office feat.
While most details of the movie are still under wraps as it still has a long way to the production, Paramount Pictures’ film would bring back the classic and original essence of the franchise. It is quite evident in the casting and of course, Williamson sitting on the director’s chair.
