For years now the horror genre has been thriving, to the delight of fans like me. Many of the best horror movies have returned for sequels or reboots, including Scream. There's a seventh movie in development, which is one of the most highly anticipated upcoming horror movies... despite some behind the scene drama. And after Neve Campbell announced her return as Sidney Prescott, another legacy actor is in talks to join. Namely Gale herself, Courteney Cox.
What we know about Scream 7 is very limited, as the project is still in the development stage. But with Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega both skipping out on this next chapter, fans are wondering what Scream legacy characters might help fill out the cast. And per a report by Variety, Cox is in talks to once again return as Gale Weathers. And while this isn't official casting news, it seems unlikely that it would fall through. After al, the Friends alum is the only actor to appear in every single chapter of the franchise.
This news is sure to excite longtime Scream fans like myself, who have a soft spot for the OG characters. And since David Arquette's Dewey was killed in the 2022 Scream (which can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription), that just leaves Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox. Although Skeet Ulrich did appear briefly in the last two movies as a ghost/vision of Billy Loomis.
The inclusion of Courteney Cox for Scream 7 feels all the more likely because of the film's director. After Christopher Landon dropped out in the midst of casting shakeups, original Scream writer Kevin Williamson was give the job to replace him. He understands the franchise perhaps better than anyone, and I'd have to assume that reuniting with him in this way would be appealing to Cox. We'll just have to wait for official news from the studio regarding these talks.
The story of Scream 7 is a complete mystery for the time being, and it should be interesting to see where this new story takes places-- especially after the last film brought the franchise to New York City. But for now the fandom is largely focused on casting, and eager to see who else joins this growing ensemble.
Personally, I'm hoping that Patrick Dempsey finally returns to Scream, after his appearance in the third movie. He recently returned to horror in Thanksgiving, and his character Mark Kincaid has been name dropped as married to Sydney. Hayden Panettiere's Kirby Reed survived Scream VI's ending, as did Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin, played by Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding respectively.
With no release date for Scream 7, fans will have to patiently wait for information to come. During that time, check out the 2024 movie release dates.
