‘Scream 7’ Star Neve Campbell Already Has a Pitch for ‘Scream 8’

Scream 7 might have just opened in theaters, but plans for an eighth installment might already be underway. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the original film, Scream 7 is looking at a potential franchise-best opening weekend after a $7.1 million Thursday preview debut. Even before the latest sequel opened in theaters, reports suggested Paramount Pictures was developing Scream 8, and the idea might come from Neve Campbell, who returns as Sidney Prescott.

At the premiere of Scream 7, director Kevin Williamson revealed that the potential Scream 8 could be based on an idea from franchise star Neve Campbell. Williamson created the original Scream and wrote the screenplays for Scream, Scream 2, and Scream 4, and has been an executive producer on the franchise before stepping into the director’s chair for Scream 7, which he also wrote. Williamson teased a potential Scream 8 pitch from its franchise star to Deadline, saying:

“When you’re sitting on the set at 3 in the morning, you’re like, ‘Well, what would Scream 8 be about?’ And you just start spit-balling and Neve had this great idea, and everyone seemed to run with it. So yeah, if this movie works and people want it, we’re here for the fans. So, if they want it, we’ll certainly give it to them.”

Does ‘Scream 8’ Need a New Creative Direction?

Paramount Pictures

Even though there are no details about what Campbell’s Scream 8 pitch is, it is significant for the actress to potentially have such creative control over the franchise. Campbell had been the series lead since the first film in 1996, but with the release of 2022’s Scream, the original plan was to pivot the franchise to a new lead cast, including Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega as sisters Sam and Tara Carpenter. Campbell returned for Scream but backed out of Scream 6 following a disagreement over payment.

In 2023, Melissa Barrera was fired by Spyglass Media following her vocal support of Palestine, which the company interpreted as antisemitic. Jenna Ortega dropped out of Scream 7 one day after Barrera’s firing, forcing the sequel to abandon the original plans they had set up over the previous two movies. To court fans’ back, Paramount paid Campbell $7 million to reprise her role as Sidney Prescott for Scream 7. It seems likely Paramount and Spyglass want to keep Campbell happy and on board the franchise, possibly giving her a certain amount of creative control.

If Scream 8 does happen, Campbell’s pitch will hopefully be a change in direction for the franchise. Scream 7 currently sits at a 36% on Rotten Tomatoes, the lowest in the franchise’s history. Many critics have noted that the series seems to be running out of ideas, turning into the same horror franchise it originally satirized. Eric Goldman, in his 3/5 review of Scream 7 for MovieWeb, said, “Scream 7 is the one that feels the most like it’s going through the motions by far.” This suggests the creatives behind Scream 8 should take a good, long look at the franchise and figure out what they want the film to be about, or whether it is finally time to let the film series rest.