Summary
- Courteney Cox is reportedly “in talks” to return as Gale Weathers in
Scream 7,
which would team up the feisty journalist and Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott once more. - Melissa Barrera’s controversial departure may impact
Scream 7,
but Neve Campbell and Kevin Williamson’s respective returns to the franchise offer fans hope. - If the rumors turn out to be true, Campbell could be reteaming with not only Cox but
Scream 3
co-star, Patrick Dempsey, too.
Today’s “Weathers” forecast includes “Gale” force winds. That’s right, Courteney Cox is now reportedly ‘in talks’ to return as the hard-to-love journalist Gale Weathers in director Kevin Williamson’s Scream 7. According to Variety, unnamed “sources” have revealed that Cox is discussing the possibility of squaring off against Ghostface once more in the Scream franchise.
Cox was the only surviving cast member in Scream VI to have also appeared in director Wes Craven’s original Scream nearly 30 years ago in the original 1996 horror classic. Scream 4’s Hayden Panettiere also appeared in the franchise’s sixth installment, but there’s no indication yet that her character of Kirby Reed might also show up in Scream 7.
Scream
- Release Date
- December 20, 1996
- Runtime
- 111
- Tagline
- Don’t answer the phone. Don’t open the door. Don’t try to escape.
- Franchise
- Scream
What is certain is that Panettiere didn’t take kindly to Scream (2022) and Scream VI star Melissa Barrera being dismissed from the franchise after she spoke out in support of the Palestinian cause in regard to Israel’s ongoing attack on Gaza. Panettiere revealed her displeasure in an interview with The Messenger, which has since been taken down. Panettiere said (per Entertainment Weekly):
[It’s] very unfair and upsetting […] After she [spoke out], then a whole bunch of other actors and people in the industry started to do the same thing, right? It was almost like she just did it earlier than everyone else.
Courteney Cox Could Join Neve Campbell in Scream 7
After Melissa Barrera was controversially fired from the Scream saga, co-star Jenna Ortega parted ways with her Scream (2022) and Scream VI character, Tara Carpenter, shortly thereafter. Following the success of Scream VI, it seemed that Scream 7 might not have a chance to live up to its predecessor without Barrera and Ortega’s involvement. Fortunately, even though she didn’t appear in Scream VI due to salary issues, Scream OG Neve Campbell announced her return as Sidney Prescott in Scream 7 earlier this month.
However, Campbell also revealed that Scream creator himself, Kevin Williamson, would be sitting in the director’s chair for the sixth sequel when the actress posted an image of the Scream 7 screenplay on her Instagram account. Campbell wrote of Sidney’s return in the same social media post:
“I’m so excited to announce this news!!! Sidney Prescott is coming back!!!! It’s always been such a blast and an honor to get to play Sidney in the Scream movies. My appreciation for these films and for what they have meant to me, has never waned. I’m very happy and proud to say I’ve been asked, in the most respectful way, to bring Sidney back to the screen and I couldn’t be more thrilled!!!”
All 6 Scream Movies, Ranked From Lowest to Highest Body Count
Ghostface has killed many people over the course of six Scream films, and here is how each entry ranks in terms of body count.
Recently, both Courteney Cox and Scream 3’s Patrick Dempsey were rumored to be discussing their respective returns in Scream 7. And now, if Variety’s sources are truly in the know, Gale Weathers and Sidney Prescott could be teaming up once more against the serial-killing Ghostface in the next installment of the horror series.
At the time of this writing,
Scream 7
hasn’t received an official release date. However, fans can check out Neve Campbell’s announcement of Sidney Prescott’s return in its entirety below to whet their appetites:
