Why Scream Fans Think Hayden Panettiere Is Back As Kirby In The Seventh Movie

The horror genre continues to be wildly popular, just look at Weapons' wild success. Some of the best horror movies come from long-standing franchises, such as Wes Craven's Scream. That series' seventh movie is one of the most hotly anticipated upcoming horror movies, especially since Neve Campbell is back as Sidney Prescott. But why do fans think that Hayden Panettiere will be back as Kirby Reed?

What we know about Scream 7 is limited, but fans are hyped for a number of legacy characters to appear. That includes David Arquette, who will appear despite Dewey's death in the fifth movie. Fans got hyped when a report by EW claimed Panettiere would once again be back as Kirby, but the outlet has since backtracked that claim. The correct reads:

What a bummer. While fans were hyped when Panettiere's Kirby returned in Scream VI, she seemingly won't appearing in Kevin Williamson's forthcoming slasher. Still, I bet some fans are going to keep their fingers crossed that the Heroes alum gets to have a third face off with Ghostface on the big screen. After all, the ending of Scream VI (which is streaming with a Paramount+ subscription) saw Kirby survive.

Given how passionate the Scream fanbase is, the discourse about Panettiere's role in the seventh movie is likely going to continue for the time being. After all, the above correction says that her role hasn't been confirmed... not that it's been all-out denied by the actor or the studio. So there's still a (small) chance that we'll see Kirby after all. Hey, a guy can dream!

Paramount Plus: from $7.99 a month/$59.99 a year
The most recent Scream movies are streaming on Paramount+ Opt for its Essential plan or go ad-free and get double the catalog with the Premium option at $12.99 a month. Alternatively, get 12 months for the price of 10 with its annual plan.

View Deal

Information about Scream 7 is slowly trickling out, resulting in a ton of hype around the slasher. OG Scream writer Kevin Williamson is directing his first installment in the franchise, and he'll once again be focusing the story on iconic scream queen Sidney Prescott. While Neve Campbell was noticeably missing from the sixth movie, she's expected to be back in full force.

While it remains to be seen if Kirby will appear, the movie is seemingly going to be jam-packed with legacy characters. Specifically ones who were killed off like Dewey, as well as Matthew Lillard's Stu Macher and Scott Foley's Roman Bridger. There's also two members of the Core Four returning: Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding's Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin.

Hayden Panettiere's Kirby Reed was a fan favorite character in Scream 4, which left her fate ambiguous. Directors of the 2022 movie revealed Kirby was alive in an easter egg, before she finally returned in Scream VI.

All will be revealed when Scream 7 hits theaters on February 27th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Since we're getting closer, hopefully we'll get footage and/or information soon.