Courteney Cox Returns for "Scream 7"

Courtney Cox has signed on to play Gale Weathers again in the seventh installment of the beloved horror franchise "Scream 7".

In September, Cox said, “I’m not officially signed on. I’m not, but there will be a ‘Scream 7.’” 

The actress added she was still waiting for a final script but was “excited” that the film would mark Kevin Williamson’s first time directing a sequel in the slasher franchise. Williamson wrote the script for the first “Scream” in 1996. “You can’t get better than that choice,” Cox said of Williamson. “It’s going to be fun.”

At the time, Cox also expressed dismay that Dewey (David Arquette) was killed off in “Scream 5,” but hoped filmmakers could find a way to bring him back. 

“I understand the reasons they did it, but whoa! Talk about a missed character,” she said. “Dewey is so loved by ‘Scream’ fans. They have to figure it out.”

The Cox news comes after it was reported that Mason Gooding will return as Chad Meeks-Martin. It was also recently announced that Isabel May is set to play the daughter of Neve Campbell‘s Sidney Prescott in the movie. Campbell bailed on “Scream 6” due to a salary dispute.

“Scream 7” is set for release on February 27, 2026, after facing multiple setbacks, including production delays, creative overhaul,s and cast shakeups. 

In 2023, Melissa Barrera, who starred in the previous two films, was dismissed from the sequel over comments she made on social media about the Israel-Hamas war. 

Jenna Ortega, who co-starred with Barrera, dropped out of the seventh film due to her shooting schedule for Season 2 of Netflix’s “Wednesday.” 

Williamson replaced director Christopher Landon, who exited the project in December of 2023. Production was also held up due to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.

“Scream” is a long-running horror franchise, that previously generated four feature films including, “Scream” (1996), “Scream 2” (1997), “Scream 3” (2000) and “Scream 4” (2011), directed by the late Wes Craven. 

The franchise relaunched with the fifth installment, “Scream,” in 2022. The latest outing, “Scream VI,” released theatrically worldwide in March 2023, currently holds the franchise record for highest domestic box office gross (more than $108 million), previously held by the original “Scream,” and has taken in more than $169 million worldwide. Collectively, the “Scream” franchise has earned more than $ 900 million in worldwide box office receipts.