Scream 7 has been released. The seventh film opened in U.S. theaters and IMAX on February 27, 2026, arrived for digital purchase and rental on March 31, and began streaming on Paramount+ on May 28. Physical editions were reported for June 16.
Kevin Williamson, who wrote the original Scream, makes his franchise directing debut here. Neve Campbell returns as Sidney Prescott, Courteney Cox is back as Gale Weathers, and the story places Sidney and her daughter, Tatum, at the center of a new Ghostface threat. This guide covers the confirmed cast, the production changes that reshaped the movie, viewing options, reception, and—after a clear warning—the ending and killer identities.
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Scream 7 at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| U.S. theatrical release | February 27, 2026 |
| U.S. IMAX release | February 27, 2026 |
| Digital purchase and rental | March 31, 2026 |
| Paramount+ debut | May 28, 2026 |
| Reported physical-media release | June 16, 2026 |
| Director | Kevin Williamson |
| Story and screenplay | James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick |
| Runtime | 115 minutes |
| Rating | R for strong bloody violence, gore, and language |
These are U.S.-focused dates. Digital storefronts, streaming catalogs, physical release dates, and editions can differ by territory.
When was Scream 7 released?
Scream 7 opened in U.S. theaters on February 27, 2026, including an IMAX release on the same day. It is therefore not an upcoming movie, despite older articles and search results that may still describe it that way.
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Paramount’s digital listing identifies the film as available digitally, with release reporting placing the purchase and rental date on March 31, 2026. The movie then became available on demand to Paramount+ subscribers in the United States on May 28, 2026.
Home-video editions were reported for June 16, 2026. The reported formats include DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD, and limited-edition 4K/Blu-ray SteelBook or collector-style editions, with the exact package depending on the retailer and territory.
Where to watch Scream 7 now
Paramount+
The most direct U.S. subscription option is to watch Scream 7 on Paramount+, where the film is available on demand according to Paramount+. The service also says that all seven Scream films are streaming there, although catalog availability can change.
Paramount+ is a paid service, not a free streaming site. A referenced Paramount+ page listed plans beginning at $8.99 per month when published, but current prices, plan names, advertising tiers, promotions, and availability should be checked before subscribing.
Digital purchase or rental
Viewers who do not want a subscription can look for the film through the major legal digital movie stores. The digital release date was March 31, 2026. Storefront pricing, rental windows, purchase rights, and whether a digital copy is included with a physical edition may vary.
4K, Blu-ray, and DVD
For a permanent copy, the Scream 7 4K Blu-ray is the premium physical format to look for. It is the best fit for viewers with a 4K player and compatible display. The standard Blu-ray is a practical alternative, while the Scream 7 DVD is the safer choice for households that do not have 4K hardware or a Blu-ray player.
- 4K UHD: aimed at viewers with a 4K-compatible setup.
- Blu-ray: a high-definition option without requiring a 4K player.
- DVD: compatible with standard DVD equipment but not the higher-resolution formats.
- SteelBook or collector editions: availability and included extras can differ by retailer and region.
Do not assume that every listing includes the same combination of 4K UHD, Blu-ray, digital access, artwork, or bonus features. Check the exact edition before buying, especially if the package is described as a SteelBook or collector edition.
Who directed Scream 7?
Kevin Williamson directed Scream 7. This is his first time directing a film in the franchise. Williamson wrote the original 1996 Scream and has long been one of the series’ defining creative figures, so his move into the director’s chair gives the seventh installment a direct connection to the first movie.
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Paramount credits James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick with the story and screenplay. That distinction matters: Williamson is the director of the finished film, while Vanderbilt and Busick receive the official story-and-screenplay credit.
Why the director and story changed
The film reached theaters after an unusually disruptive production period. Melissa Barrera was dismissed from the franchise after social-media comments that Spyglass characterized as antisemitic. Jenna Ortega did not return, and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett of Radio Silence were no longer directing. Christopher Landon, who had been attached as a replacement director, subsequently exited as well.
Trade reporting described the result as a substantial script reworking rather than a minor adjustment. The reported production budget rose to approximately $45 million. That background explains why early plot descriptions, rumored cast lists, and reports built around the Scream 5 and Scream VI story direction should not be treated as descriptions of the completed film.
The finished movie was repositioned around Sidney Prescott and her family. It functions as a return to the original character’s legacy while retaining selected links to the recent films through Mindy and Chad.
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Scream 7 cast
Paramount’s official cast listing confirms the following principal performers and roles:
| Actor | Role or status |
|---|---|
| Neve Campbell | Sidney Prescott |
| Courteney Cox | Gale Weathers |
| Isabel May | Tatum Evans, Sidney’s daughter |
| Jasmin Savoy Brown | Mindy Meeks-Martin |
| Mason Gooding | Chad Meeks-Martin |
| Joel McHale | Mark Evans, Sidney’s husband |
| Anna Camp | Officially listed in the ensemble; the official listing does not provide a character name here |
| Mckenna Grace | Officially listed in the ensemble; the official listing does not provide a character name here |
| Michelle Randolph | Officially listed in the ensemble; her spoiler-sensitive role is discussed below |
| Jimmy Tatro | Officially listed in the ensemble |
| Asa Germann | Officially listed in the ensemble |
| Celeste O’Connor | Officially listed in the ensemble |
| Sam Rechner | Officially listed in the ensemble |
| Ethan Embry | Officially listed in the ensemble; his spoiler-sensitive role is discussed below |
| Tim Simons | Officially listed in the ensemble |
| Mark Consuelos | Officially listed in the ensemble |
| Matthew Lillard | Involvement is spoiler-sensitive and is not explained in the spoiler-free cast summary |
The official listing confirms the ensemble but does not name every character. Character names attributed to the supporting actors should therefore be treated cautiously unless they come from spoiler-inclusive reporting or a full cast database.
Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox’s returns
Campbell’s return is one of the film’s central selling points. She did not appear in Scream VI after a compensation dispute. Variety reported that her deal for the seventh film was nearly $7 million and that Cox’s deal was approximately $2 million. Those figures come from trade reporting, not a studio announcement, so they should not be treated as officially confirmed salaries.
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Cox’s return also preserves the franchise’s longest-running supporting connection: Gale Weathers has appeared in every film in the main series.
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The spoiler-free premise is straightforward: a new Ghostface appears in the quiet town where Sidney Prescott has built a new life, and the attacks move toward her family. Sidney’s daughter, Tatum, becomes the next target, forcing Sidney to confront the violence that has followed her since the original Woodsboro murders.
Paramount+ frames the danger as an attack on the people Sidney loves, rather than simply another threat aimed at Sidney herself. That gives the sequel a more family-centered emotional structure. The story shifts attention away from the Carpenter sisters and the younger ensemble that drove Scream 5 and Scream VI, but Mindy and Chad remain as connective tissue to that recent era.
For viewers deciding whether the film fits their expectations, the basic trade-off is clear: Scream 7 is built as a Sidney Prescott legacy sequel with a new family threat, not as a continuation focused primarily on Sam and Tara Carpenter.
Reception and box office
Critical response was mixed to negative. Variety described the film as a competent, back-to-basics sequel whose mechanics work but whose ideas are less inventive than those of the strongest franchise entries. RogerEbert.com also criticized the killer reveal and several major set pieces. Those are representative critical judgments, not an objective consensus or a measured test result.
The commercial result was substantially stronger. The Numbers reports the following totals:
| Measure | Reported result |
|---|---|
| Domestic box office | $121,935,967 |
| International box office | $91,900,000 |
| Worldwide box office | $213,835,967 |
| Domestic opening weekend | $63,615,172 |
| Reported production budget | $45,000,000 |
The Associated Press reported an estimated domestic debut of $64.1 million and described it as a franchise record. The AP estimate and The Numbers’ later cumulative opening-weekend figure differ slightly because early box-office estimates are finalized as reporting is updated. The Numbers figure is the more useful one for the later cumulative comparison; the AP figure was the opening-weekend news estimate.
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What older Scream 7 articles get wrong
Search results can combine early development news with details from the finished film. The following distinctions are important:
- It is not still upcoming in the United States: the theatrical release was February 27, 2026, and the film is now available through later home-viewing windows.
- Kevin Williamson is the finished film’s director: Radio Silence and Christopher Landon should not be identified as the directors of the released movie.
- Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega are not part of the finished cast: their earlier connection to the project should not be presented as an appearance in Scream 7.
- Early post-Scream VI plot expectations are unreliable: the screenplay and story direction were substantially reworked.
- Matthew Lillard requires a spoiler warning: his involvement is tied to material that can be misunderstood if summarized as a simple return of Stu Macher.
Spoilers: who is Ghostface in Scream 7?
Spoiler warning: The following section discusses the Ghostface identities, the motive, and the film’s use of Stu Macher-related material.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Secondary ending explainers identify the principal Ghostface perpetrators as Jessica Bowden, played by Michelle Randolph, and Marco, played by Ethan Embry. Jessica’s motive is tied to an obsession with Sidney’s survival story. She targets Tatum in an effort to manufacture a new “final girl,” turning Sidney’s history into a violent template for someone else.
Marco is connected to the psychiatric-facility and technology elements of the conspiracy. Karl functions as another masked participant or decoy. Because the film uses multiple masked figures and mediated information, not every Ghostface appearance should automatically be read as proof that the same person is physically present.
Is Stu Macher really back?
Matthew Lillard’s Stu Macher material is deliberately spoiler-sensitive. The movie presents apparent Stu video communications and deepfake-like imagery, while ending explainers characterize the material as an artificial or mediated return rather than a straightforward confirmation that Stu is physically back as the central killer.
The safest reading is to separate three things: what the film shows on screens, what characters claim about Stu, and what the final scenes actually confirm. Calling the film a definitive confirmation that the original Stu is alive goes further than the evidence supports. The technology-based presentation is part of the movie’s ambiguity and should not be collapsed into the simpler claim that Stu has returned in person.
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Is Scream 7 worth watching?
The answer depends on what a viewer wants from the sequel. Fans primarily interested in Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers, the original film’s legacy, and a family-centered Ghostface story will find that those elements are the movie’s main focus. Viewers looking for a direct continuation of the Carpenter family arc may find the reset less satisfying.
Best Value
The box office shows that the franchise’s audience responded strongly to the film, while the critical response suggests more reservations about the originality of the reveal and some set pieces. In practical terms, streaming or a rental offers the lowest-commitment way to judge the reset; physical editions make more sense for collectors and viewers who want the film alongside the rest of the franchise.
Publication and viewing notes
- The dates in this guide are U.S. dates unless explicitly stated otherwise.
- Streaming catalogs and digital prices can change after publication.
- Physical-media availability, package contents, bonus features, and SteelBook status vary by retailer and region.
- The movie is rated R for strong bloody violence, gore, and language.
- The ending section is based on spoiler-inclusive reporting and should be read as a description of the film’s depicted resolution, not as confirmation of every online theory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Scream 7 already out?
Yes. It opened in U.S. theaters and IMAX on February 27, 2026, became available for digital purchase and rental on March 31, and began streaming on Paramount+ on May 28, 2026.
Who directed Scream 7?
Kevin Williamson directed the film. Williamson wrote the original 1996 Scream, but this is his first time directing a movie in the franchise.
Is Jenna Ortega in Scream 7?
No. Jenna Ortega did not return for the finished film. The released movie instead re-centers the story on Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott and her family.
Is Stu Macher confirmed to be alive in Scream 7?
The film uses apparent Stu video communications and deepfake-like or otherwise mediated imagery, but this is not a straightforward confirmation that Stu is physically back as the central killer. The ending is better described as deliberately ambiguous.
Who are the Ghostface killers in Scream 7?
Ending explainers identify Jessica Bowden, played by Michelle Randolph, and Marco, played by Ethan Embry, as the principal perpetrators. Karl is described as another masked participant or decoy.
The Bottom Line
The short version: Scream 7 is a released 2026 sequel directed by Kevin Williamson, with Neve Campbell back as Sidney Prescott. It is available on Paramount+ in the United States, through digital purchase or rental, and in reported physical formats including 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD. Its commercial performance was strong despite mixed-to-negative reviews, and its Ghostface and Stu Macher material should be discussed with careful spoiler and ambiguity warnings.
Quick Recap
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