'Scream 7': Will It Happen?

Ghostface moved his killing spree from sunny California to New York City in Scream VI, and despite being unmasked for the sixth time, fans of the horror franchise are already eager to see Ghostface's return. In the days since Scream VI hit theaters on Friday, March 10, there has been plenty of buzz surrounding the slasher, leading many to wonder if Scream 7 will happen. Warning: This post contains Scream VI spoilers.

While Scream 7 has not yet been confirmed, it seems extremely likely that a new franchise installment will be given the greenlight. Just a week into its theatrical run, Scream VI has been met with high success, both in ratings and box office numbers. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently holds a 77% critics score and 92% audience score, the highest audience score out of all of the film's in the franchise. Scream VI also secured a big win at its opening weekend box office, pulling in $44.5 million in its opening weekend at the domestic box office and another $22.6 million from 53 international markets, bringing its global tally to $67.1 million and making it the biggest overseas opening weekend of the Scream franchise. That number has risen to a worldwide box office above $78 million.

More than just those impressive box office figures, those attached to the franchise have expressed their belief that a seventh film will be given the greenlight. Scream VI director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin told Deadline, "We hope. We want to be watching Scream movies whether we're involved or not for the rest of our lives." Scream VI editor Jay Prychidny also expressed his faith in an additional film during a recent chat with PopCulture.com.

"One of the most amazing things about this film is that it doesn't feel tired or worn out for being the sixth in a franchise. Far from it, it feels like a fresh reinvigoration of the entire series," he said. "There's a real passion and energy that permeates the scenes. It takes us into new emotional and psychological areas through Sam's character, and I can imagine so many ways the series could continue to refresh and reinvent itself. I think there's so much more material to be mined in Sam's character and the exploration of her shadow side and her dark passenger. Of course, I'm not the writer! But that's definitely what I'd love to see more of in Scream VII, and I think this film really sets us up for that."

Should Scream 7 be ordered, it's likely that the "Core Four" – Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown as Sam, Tara, Chad, and Mindy – will return. It's also pretty likely that a few legacy characters will star, including Courteney Cox's Gale Weathers, who survived her confrontation with Ghostface in Scream VI, and possibly Hayden Panettiere's Kirby Reed, who returned to the franchise for the first time since she starred in Scream 4. As for Neve Campbell, who opted out of returning for the most recent installment over a pay dispute, there is still hope she could reprise her role as Sidney Prescott. Bettinelli-Olpin told The Hollywood Reporter, "We'd never give up on her. We love Neve, and we love Sidney. So we'd love to be able to make another movie with her, and we're not giving up."

Fans will ultimately have to wait to see if Scream 7 is ordered, something that seems very likely. Scream VI is now in theaters, and the first five films of the franchise are available to stream on Paramount+.