Courtney Cox will return in Scream 7. Although Cox has played hardnosed reporter Gale Weathers in all six movies in the slasher franchise, her return in the upcoming Scream 7 was not guaranteed as there have been major shakeups in front of and behind the camera. This includes Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter) being fired after sharing pro-Palestine social media posts, with co-star Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter) and director Christopher Landon departing the project shortly afterward. Now, original screenwriter Kevin Williamson has taken the reins as director, with production scheduled to begin in early 2025.
Per Variety, it has now been officially confirmed that Courteney Cox will once again be reprising her role as Gale Weathers in Scream 7. She joins a returning cast that already includes Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott and Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin. Also on board are newcomers Isabel May (as Sidney’s daughter), Anna Camp, Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann, Mckenna Grace, and Sam Rechner.
What This Means For Scream 7
The Cast Is Coming Together
Considering her long history with the Scream franchise, it makes sense that Cox would return for the latest installment. However, her return alongside those of Campbell and Gooding, could be the beginning of a groundswell of legacy stars boarding the project. There are quite a few characters who could return who have not yet been confirmed, including Chad’s twin sister Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown), Sidney’s Scream 3 love interest Mark Kincaid (Patrick Dempsey), and horror expert Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere), who was brought back in Scream VI after supposedly dying in Scream 4.
In October, Dempsey revealed that he had been in contact with the production about potentially reprising his role.
However, even with the absence of Barrera and Ortega, this influx of characters could result in one or more legacy characters finally being murdered by the Ghostface killer after many years of increasingly unlikely survival. This could put Gale Weathers at risk, especially considering the fact that being killed at the end of the third installment of the 2020s would be a poetic echo of her longtime love interest Dewey Riley (David Arquette) being killed midway through the first installment of the decade, 2022’s legacy sequel Scream.
Our Take On Courteney Cox’s Scream 7 Return
Gale’s Death Isn’t A Given
It remains to be seen how the return of Gale Weathers in Scream 7 figures into Sidney’s reappearance in the franchise after Neve Campbell sat out Scream VI amid a salary dispute. However, given the precedent set by Sidney returning in 2022 after learning of Dewey’s death could mean that Gale’s death is even more likely in the new movie. However, given her track record of surviving the rampages of so many Ghostface killers, it is entirely possible that Gale could still live to star in the possible Scream 8 and beyond.
Source: Variety
Scream 7: Released in 2026, Scream 7 continues the legacy of the iconic horror franchise, delving deeper into the chilling narrative established in previous installments. As the seventh film, it aims to expand and explore new facets of the series’ themes while maintaining its signature suspense and intrigue.
- Release Date
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February 27, 2026
- Cast
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Neve Campbell
- Character(s)
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Gale Weathers
, Sidney Prescott
, Ghostface Voice
, Kirby Reed
, Uncredited - Director
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Kevin Williamson
- Writers
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Guy Busick
, James Vanderbuilt - Studio(s)
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Spyglass Media Group
- Distributor(s)
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Paramount Pictures
