Scream Star Confirms She’s Returning for Sequel

One of the definitive scream queens is coming back for another night with Ghostface. Neve Campbell confirmed she will return as Sidney Prescott (now Evans) in Scream 8.

“Scream 8, that’s in the pipeline as well,” Campbell said to AP. “You know I can’t tell you anything about Scream 8,” the actress said, “I’ll be in it.” Campbell has appeared in every film in the series except 2023’s Scream 6.

Paramount and Spyglass announced that they would begin developing an eighth movie on March 31, 2026, with sisters Lilla and Nora Zuckerman handling the script. The Zuckermans are television writers who have worked together on series like Poker Face, Suits, Fringe, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and more.

Scream 8 hopes to follow Scream 7's commercial success

It isn’t particularly surprising that another Scream film is on the way. Earlier this year, Scream 7 became the highest-grossing movie in the series’ history, bringing in $214 million against a $45 million budget. Series creator Kevin Williamson directed and co-wrote the picture.

However, despite its big-box office performance, critics almost universally panned the film, calling it shallow and the franchise's worst entry. It has a 29% score on Rotten Tomatoes, putting it dead last on the Tomatometer behind Scream 3, the only other series installment with a negative score on the review aggregator.

Beyond the bad reviews, Scream 7 was a deserved subject of controversy. Songwriter, activist, and actor Melissa Barrera was fired from Scream 7 after criticizing the Israeli government for committing genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. In response to Barrera’s firing, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, Film Workers for Palestine, CodePink, the Democratic Socialists of America, and more called for a boycott of the movie.

Scream is the most popular slasher franchise

The first Scream film was released in 1996, and it's famous for approaching slasher clichés with a self-aware, metatextual style that has become increasingly popular in the genre. The original brought in $173 million on a $14–15 million budget, making it the highest-grossing entry in the series when adjusted for inflation.

After an initial trilogy that ran through 2000, the series came back in 2011 with Scream 4. After another decade-long break, Scream (2022) was a well-received return for the horror staple. 2023’s Scream 6 was handled by many of the same creatives and met a similarly positive reception with critics and audiences.