'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUH/8QAIhAAAQMCBgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAAGBRESEyExQVFh/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA//EABcRAAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABIRH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AMpui5nTNgP4dIlxYxJ320EJK9SgT5566PqraLnYbSEbC1aRlmUjn73SlOnQMh//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The slasher sub-genre of horror films has been a mainstay on the silver screen since the release of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 classic Psycho. In the time since, Hitchcock’s Norman Bates character has given way to an entire category of film and a platform for a host of storytellers to add to the genre’s ever-expanding lore.
Wes Craven has cemented himself as the pioneer of the modern slasher since the mid-80s with the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, introducing the terrifying Freddy Krueger to audiences worldwide. A decade later, in 1996, he released the first Scream film, whose franchise now includes six films, a television series, merchandise, and more.
The Ghostface killers have captivated moviegoers’ undivided attention from the moment Craven’s first Scream film was released. A simple core concept and premise, some great performances, the whodunnit format, and the return of legacy characters have enabled the franchise to retain relevance even today. With Scream 7 set to release in theaters on February 27, 2026, let’s take a look at what we know about the upcoming film as well as some of the seminal moments from the series as a whole to date.
Scream 7 - What We Know So Far
Initially, Neve Campbell was unsure about her return to the franchise due to salary disputes. Once the production confirmed that the franchise’s original final girl, Sydney Prescott, would be back in action, the ball started rolling for the highly anticipated film’s production. As the hype began to build, Courtney Cox’s Gale Weathers was also confirmed to appear before the real bombshell news began to come to light.
Matthew Lillard, one half of the original film’s killer duo, was announced as an official cast member, although in an unspecified role. Fans have been calling for his return since the franchise’s soft reboot in 2022. Lillard took to Instagram to confirm his return to the franchise, using one of his character’s original lines in the post.
In more recent news, Scott Foley has also been confirmed to be a part of the project, after having appeared in Scream 3, but none of the other projects since. Along with the announcement of the aforementioned fan-favorite legacy characters, Scream 7 will also include returning cast members Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown as the Meeks-Martin twins from the new continuation of films. Among the newcomers to the cast are Isabel May, Mckenna Grace, and Celeste O'Connor.
While details on the plot remain murky at best, the casting news has fans elated about the franchise’s next outing scheduled for early next year. As the anticipation for the film continues to grow, let’s look back at some of the moments that made the franchise a truly unforgettable fan favorite and tentpole franchise of the modern slasher genre.
Scream - Opening Scene
For the first entry on the list, we need to travel back to where it all began; the opening scene of the first ever film in the franchise. The scene depicts a young woman at home alone, unaware of the danger she’s in, until suddenly the house phone rings.
She engages in a conversation with the mysterious caller when things take a markedly sinister turn. The once innocent conversation devolves into a deadly game of cat and mouse until the killer eventually strikes in such a menacing fashion that it sets the tone for the film and the entire franchise that followed.
The innocent victim was portrayed by a young Drew Barrymore, and the opening scene involving a killer playing with his food before eventually striking became a trademark of the series.
Scream 2 – Opening Scene
In the sequel to the franchise’s debut, Craven decided to go full meta. We see a young couple gearing up to watch a ‘Stab’ movie in the theater, an in-universe reflection of the real-life murders that occur in the fictional Woodsboro, which serves as the setting of the original film and beyond. The girlfriend in the scenario appears uneasy from the jump, whereas her boyfriend denounces any potential threats and eases into the chaotic atmosphere within the cinema.
The killer first dispatches of the boyfriend, played by Omar Epps, in the bathroom, before disguising himself in the boyfriend’s clothes and making his way back to the girlfriend character in their seats. There, he stabs her to death in the open, surrounded by moviegoers who naturally assume that the act is a spoof and choose to cheer on her death instead of stopping to intervene, which makes the scene truly chilling. The girlfriend character is famously played by Jada Pinkett Smith.
Scream 4 – Olivia’s Death Scene
In a series defined by its ability to subvert audience expectations, this scene truly stands out as being the embodiment of the Scream ethos. Here, Ghostface engages in a trademark call with what the audience assumes are the obvious victims until he shares that he’s in the closet. The two girls who are being threatened reluctantly open it only to find out the killer isn’t there.
In a brilliant turn, Ghostface shares, “I never said I was in YOUR closet!” at which point he bursts out of their neighboring friend’s closet and viciously attacks and kills her, as her friends, the initial pair of girls, watch in horror. This scene deserves to be on the list for its clever premise and sheer brutality in a film that revived the franchise for an entirely new demographic.
Scream 5 – Dewey’s Death Scene
This is arguably one of the most gut-wrenching scenes of the entire series. Not only is it absolutely brutal and haunting, but it kills off the audience’s fan-favorite legacy character who had been present on screen since the franchise’s debut.
The sequence occurs in the hallways of the hospital where Dewey’s character is protecting a group of potential victims whom he helps survive their encounter with the killer. Initially he leaves the altercation unscathed and even makes it to the elevator to leave, ushering the group to safety, before something within instructs him to ensure that the killer is in fact dead. From there on out, the scene is a true heartbreaker for franchise fans, resulting in one of the most shocking moments from the franchise's entire run to date.
Scream 6 - Bodega scene
Here, a pair of estranged sisters are being targeted by the killer out in the open on the streets of New York. The duo enters a bodega while perusing the city before the killer appears and begins to stalk them through the aisles, causing absolute havoc in the process.
Trending
The scene is meaningful because the killer’s use of a shotgun while stalking his prey was a huge departure from his usual m.o. of using a knife, another hint to the series’ increasing brutality as it continues to evolve. The film was also the last appearance for actors Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, who have parted ways with the franchise, albeit for vastly different reasons.
Your perspective matters!
Start the conversation
