Scream 7 Writer Reveals Why Sidney Returns, Franchise Time Jump and How Sequel Handles the Core Four

With all the drama surrounding Scream 7 (Melissa Barrera being fired over her pro-Palestine posts regarding the Israel-Hamas war, Jenna Ortega dropping out due to "scheduling conflicts," and director Christopher Landon dropping out due to online bullying from Scream trolls), writer Guy Busick, who also co-wrote Final Destination Bloodlines recently spoke to Comic Book on why Sidney Prescott returns after she was given her "happy ending" in Scream 6, and how they managed to get two out of the core four to return.

via: Comic Book

The original Scream 7 with Barrera and Ortega “was a completely different thing,” writer Guy Busick tells ComicBook in an interview pegged to Final Destination Bloodlines, which he also co-wrote. “We weren’t able to use what we had in the previous iteration for this one. [We] just had to start from scratch, which was a bummer.”

“We were excited about what we had for that movie. We wanted to do one more ‘Core Four’ movie,” Busick continues of the four friends introduced together in the 2022 legacy sequel Scream. “We know the fans love those characters. We love those characters. We created those characters. I would love to see, in some universe, the continuation of their characters, in some way. But we weren’t able to port over the stuff from the other story. It was like, ‘Okay, here is what the universe dealt us.’ We always wanted to do a Sidney movie and so it was like, ‘All right, let’s get into it and why now and why this one?’”

So, why bring back Sidney now, and why in Scream 7? After all, Gale told Sam and Tara in VI, “She deserves her happy ending.”

“I don’t want to give anything away about the reason [Scream 7] had to be a Sidney movie because there’s a really cool reason,” Busick teases. “In all these movies, you have to ask, ‘Why now? What is the thing Scream is commenting on now?’ Scream is always in a conversation with the audience about the state of movies, the state of horror movies and in particular, franchises.”

Busick seems to suggest that the meta-horror franchise’s seventh entry is a commentary on the trend of the legacy sequel. 2018’s Halloween, 2022’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 2023’s The Exorcist: Believer, and 2025’s I Know What You Did Last Summer, decades-later sequels and quasi-reboots that brought back original characters and actors. 2022’s Scream got in on the legacy-quel by reuniting the trio of Sidney, Gale, and Dewey (David Arquette) for the first time since 2011.

“There is a really specific reason why Sidney is in this movie. I will say there is a reason and we were happy with it when we cracked it,” Busick says. “We went to Neve Campbell and said, ‘This is why. This is why Sidney now.’ Neve was like, ‘Oh, I get that.’ I pitched Kevin [Williamson] this first, too. He got it and then I pitched the studio. I came up with the story with my co-writer on [Scream] 5 and 6, James Vanderbilt.”

Scream writer-creator Williamson, who also penned the screenplays for 1997’s Scream 2 and 2011’s Scream 4, is making his series directorial debut after taking over from Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon (who dropped out from the “dream job that turned into a nightmare” in December 2023).

Busick credits Vanderbilt with the idea bringing the Meeks-Martin twins into Scream 7 without the other half of the Core Four.

“I believe it was James that came up with it. I want to give credit where credit is due, but it was an organic way why they would be in this movie,” Busick adds. “I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say it’s through Gale. She’s the connective tissue in 5 and 6 and she’s in this. New York was obviously a big part of that. She bonded with those four and there’s a reason why these two come to this town where the action is happening.”

Whether that town is Woodsboro, California, or the as-yet-unnamed town where Sidney is in hiding, Busick couldn’t say. “It’s not New York,” he offers. “I don’t want to be the one to spoil where it is. It’s an unspecified amount of time [after VI]. I might get contradicted by other people, but in my mind, more than two years. I would say at least two years. It could be two years, but I would say two years plus.”

Adding to the mystery: Dewey, who was killed off in 5, is somehow returning. Arquette reprises his role alongside Lillard (Scream) and Scott Foley’s Roman Bridger (Scream 3), both killed-off Ghostfaces.

New cast members include Joel McHale (Community) as Sidney’s husband, Mark, and Isabel May (1883) as Sidney’s daughter. Actors cast in undisclosed roles include Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect), Mark Consuelos (Riverdale), Ethan Embry (Grace and Frankie), Asa Germann (Gen V), Sam Rechner (The Fabelmans), Michelle Randolph (Landman), Jimmy Tatro (Theater Camp), Celeste O’Connor (Madame Web), and Mckenna Grace (Sunrise on the Reaping).

Scream 7 slashes into theaters on Feb. 27, 2026.

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I wonder if before Spyglass fired Melissa that there were initial plans to bring Sidney back? I have a feeling Neve was a last resort. I feel that Guy and James had created their new set of characters, and wanted to continue exploring those characters. If they actually cared about the vets I feel they wouldn't have killed off Dewey and sidelined Gail and Sidney in Scream 5.

After Melissa was fired and Jenna opted not to come back due to "scheduling conflicts," I feel the studio panicked, and out of sheer desperation to bank on the franchise not flopping due to the backlash, they backed the Brinks truck up in Neve's driveway, and asked Kevin Williamson to direct. This move would make sure Scream vets like myself would show up and see the film when it's released.

The other thing that exposed their desperation was the studio revealing that Scott Foley, Matthew Lillard and David Arquette -- the latter who said that his cameo was supposed to be a surprise were revealed to be appearing in the seventh installment.

I just hope the film is good, and that they would trust that the horror fandom is a loyal one. If the film is good people will surpport it. I'm also hoping that they will reconsider releasing Scream 7 in February 2026 and bump it to October 2025.

There are rumors swirling that Kevin Williamson will be directing the eighth and ninth installments, and since Scream 7 wrapped a few months ago, and Marco Beltrami is returning to do the film's score, I feel post production could be done before the end of the summer, and Scream 8 can shoot this summer/early fall so it can be released in 2026 for the 30th anniversary of the original Scream.