Scream 7 Trailer and Poster Unveiled — Ghostface Returns in 2026’s Most Anticipated Horror Sequel

“Scream 7” has had one of the most fraught productions in recent horror history. 11 years after Scream 4, the franchise was revived in 2022, introducing the Carpenter sisters (Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega) as new protagonists. After starring in “Scream” (2022) and “Scream VI” (2023), these two actors were slated to continue into the next film until the producers fired Barrera in late 2023 following her controversial remarks about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, after which Ortega dropped out of the cast.

“Scream 7” was now in a creative crisis, so the filmmakers turned to two of the franchise’s most venerable figures: director Kevin Williamson, who wrote the original film (and two others), and actor Neve Campbell, who starred as Sidney Prescott through the first five movies. With these “Scream” icons at the forefront, the film was back on track – and now, at last, it is nearly upon us. Does its trailer allay all the concerns that naturally accompany such a troubled creative process?

A Banger of an Opening – Not to Be Spoiled

The trailer for “Scream 7” opens with a twentysomething couple arriving at the first example I can recall of a theme Airbnb: the large suburban house in which the original film’s climactic party took place is now a rental adorned with memorabilia from “Stab,” the in-universe horror-movie franchise that has shamelessly capitalized on the Ghostface killings. This place even features an animatronic Ghostface, complete with motion sensors so that it’ll raise its knife-wielding arm on cue for an approaching guest.

It’s a great, fun place for any “Stab” aficionado – until it becomes apparent that there’s a very real Ghostface lurking on the premises. This killer attacks the girlfriend, leading to the kind of inventive heart-in-mouth moment that really should not have been showcased in any media prior to the release of “Scream 7” itself. I’m not going to spoil it here, except to say that a chandelier may spell the difference between life and a nasty death.

Our Reintroduction to Neve Campbell, AKA Her Paradise Lost

A little over half a minute in, we catch up with “Scream 7″‘s Sidney Prescott, who now lives a peaceful suburban life in what may be Texas (“DALLAS” is shown as the name of the local theater, which so happens to be playing the Lone Star State’s signature slasher film) with her teenaged daughter, Tatum (Isabel May). (Presumably, this kid is named in honor of Sidney’s teenhood best friend, who was murdered in the original film).

Almost immediately, Sidney’s middle-aged idyll is shattered by a phone call from that sinister, modulated voice. Ghostface is coming (one can hardly say that Ghostface is back, since the killer is embodied by a new character for each film), and very soon, ominous phone calls will be the least of Sidney’s worries.

A Killer to Unmask and a Daughter to Protect

There’s nothing in the rest of the trailer to match the crackerjack tension of “Scream 7″‘s opening stinger. Ghostface’s attacks on Sidney and co. appear well-constructed but quite standard: a scene in which Sidney and Tatum hide within the walls of their home while Ghostface tries to pinpoint where to stab through, Ghostface pouncing on a cop and covering him with a transparent plastic sack before stabbing him, and various shots of home invasion.

Sidney calls in fellow franchise veteran Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), who declares fiercely: “Let’s unmask this fucker.” At some point, Tatum is either kidnapped or imperiled while her mother is elsewhere: “I’m not going to hurt her until you’re here to see it!” Ghostface snarls at Sidney over the phone. Tatum is also the subject of a particularly uninspired stinger wherein she must shoot Ghostface through a wall, then walk over to ensure the job is done. Will anyone be surprised when the killer revives and lunges for her just as she’s about to fire a close-range head shot?

Isabel May: The New Heir to the Franchise?

This hacky moment notwithstanding, Sidney’s daughter represents the freshest potential that “Scream 7” has to offer for the future of the franchise. May clearly holds her own onscreen, as shown in the trailer’s tensest moments and when Tatum declares to her mother: “I want to be a fighter, like you.” This line alone poises her to become the new “Scream” queen.

There’s plenty of potential for the movie to further develop an established legacy character by showcasing Sidney Prescott in this new phase of her life, exploring her role as a parent for the first time. But will “Scream 7” also set Tatum up to play a central role in subsequent iterations, much as the Carpenter sisters did before Barrera’s and Ortega’s abrupt departures? We may find out on February 27.