Ghostface simply can’t be held down. Just a few years after Scream VI posted a record $44.5 million opening at the box office, representing a record for the slasher franchise, Scream 7 has come along and topped it. Indeed, the return of Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott was enticing to audiences as this legacy sequel did better than anyone expected on its opening weekend.
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Scream 7 opened to an estimated $64.1 million domestically, absolutely shattering the record for this long-running series. It also came in well ahead of industry estimates. Overseas, Paramount’s latest entry in the neverending Ghostface saga added another $33.1 million for a $97.2 million global start. Not to get too ahead of ourselves here or anything, but Scream 8 will probably be in development by the end of this sentence.
Looking at the bigger picture, the highest-grossing movie in the franchise overall remains the original Scream with $173 million worldwide, followed closely by Scream 2 with a hair over $172 million. At this rate, even if it doesn’t have great legs, it looks very much like Scream 7 could take the title before all’s said and done.
The sequel was written and directed by Kevin Williamson, writer of director Wes Craven’s original Scream. It centers on Sidney Prescott (Campbell), who has built a new, quiet life for her family in a small town in an attempt to get away from her past. Sidney's darkest fears come true as a new Ghostface shows up, one that is deliberately targeting her daughter Tatum (Isabel May). Sidney once again must face the horrors of her past once more in order to protect her family.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the weeks ahead. Scream 7 was met with very mixed reviews from critics. Audiences were excited to see Sidney and Ghostface back at it, but word of mouth is going to matter a lot in the weeks ahead. With a $45 million budget, Paramount does need this movie to have some legs. Still, even if it tapers off pretty quickly, it’s absolutely going to profit in theaters for the studio. It’s really a matter of how much the reception impacts its future earnings.
Looking ahead, March brings with it some heavy-hitters after a relatively quiet start to 2026. Both The Bride! (which is featured on the FANGORIA #30 newsstand cover) and Pixar’s Hoppers open this Friday. Horror fans also have Undertone, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come and They Will Kill You on the way before month’s end. The Oscars will also be pulling some attention the weekend of March 15. In short, lots to look forward to and much to discuss.
Scream7 is in theaters now.
