Neve Campbell Returns to Scream 7 as Trailer Targets Sidney’s Daughter
neve campbell is back as Sidney Prescott in Scream 7, which opens in theaters on February 27, and the first trailer makes clear the masked killer’s new focus includes Sidney’s daughter. The casting returns, studio streaming plans and a string of release-window predictions make this installment a key test of how the franchise will play both in cinemas and on Paramount’s platform.
Neve Campbell and Sidney Prescott's return
The studio brought Neve Campbell back to resume the role of Sidney Prescott after a period of departures and casting shifts following Scream 6. Campbell had turned down Scream VI because of a pay dispute, and the series later saw Melissa Barrera fired and Jenna Ortega exit after the sixth film. In Scream 7, Sidney again confronts another Ghostface while her daughter figures in the killer’s scheme.
Ghostface Threat to Tatum (Isabel May) in the trailer
The first trailer for Scream 7 pushes Ghostface to the forefront, showing the masked killer’s apparent plan to make “everyone Sidney loves” suffer. That threat explicitly centers on Sidney’s daughter Tatum, played by Isabel May. The trailer remains coy on several plot points but includes a chilling flash of Stu Macher’s voice — Stu being the character associated with Matthew Lillard — even as it withholds confirmation of Stu’s fate in the years since the original Scream.
Returning cast: Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard and Mindy and Chad
Scream 7 reunites a mix of legacy performers and more recent franchise players. In addition to Neve Campbell and Isabel May, Courteney Cox returns as Gale Weathers. Matthew Lillard appears connected to the footage that hints at Stu Macher’s involvement. Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding are listed as returning in their roles as twins Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin.
Confirmed theatrical launch and Paramount+ exclusivity
The film opens in theaters on February 27, and the studio has confirmed that Scream 7 will stream exclusively on Paramount+ at a later, unspecified date. Analysts and release-pattern observers note that Paramount has almost exclusively followed a 60-day theatrical window for its recent releases, a practice that shapes predictions for when the film will arrive on the streaming service.
Predicted PVOD and streaming timing tied to Paramount’s 60-day practice
Using Paramount’s recent scheduling as a model produces specific timing expectations. If the studio applies a 60-day theatrical window, that projects a streaming debut on Paramount+ of April 28 — a Tuesday, which is traditionally when Paramount releases new titles to the platform. A digital PVOD release could arrive earlier under a common 32-day PVOD gap, placing a predicted premium digital date at March 31. These projections rest on the studio’s recent pattern: in 2025, only Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning departed from the norm with a 195-day gap, while Regretting You had a 61-day interval and numerous other titles received 60-day treatments.
Box office context and what the windows mean for theatrical life
Theatrical performance remains the primary revenue driver for horror franchises, and the release-window model affects how long a title plays exclusively in cinemas. Scream VI hit streaming 46 days after its theatrical debut and went on to gross $166. 5 million worldwide; under the 60-day expectation, Scream 7 would enjoy just over one month of exclusive theatrical exposure before digital sales begin and roughly two months or less in total before moving to Paramount+. If the rollout follows these patterns, most of Scream 7’s box office will be collected during that abbreviated theatrical window, with some showings continuing even as the film becomes available digitally.
What makes this notable is the convergence of franchise legacy and modern distribution logic: a franchise that built its reputation on theatrical scares is being managed under a studio timetable that accelerates the path to streaming and digital sales, a shift that will shape both viewership and revenue for Scream 7.
Franchise coverage and promotional context
Coverage of the return has included commentary and features under headlines such as "Neve Campbell on reprising, " and entertainment writers have highlighted the trailer’s mix of nostalgia and new stakes. One entertainment reporter covering the film is Belen Edwards, who works as an Entertainment Reporter and is a member of the Critics Choice Association and the Television Critics Association, and is a Tomatometer-approved critic. Promotional materials remain deliberately partial on some legacy threads, leaving questions about Stu Macher’s current status and how the mother-daughter storyline will unfold when the film reaches audiences on February 27.
