Scream Bringing Back Sidney Prescott Risks Betraying 1 Major Ghostface Change From The $210 Million Reboot Movies

The return of Sydney Prescott in Scream 7 could also inspire a return to form for the original Ghostface character. Since the original Scream first premiered back in December of 1996 and became an instant horror classic, the franchise has seen a total of four installments directed by iconic horror director Wes Craven. Sydney, played by Neve Campbell, has appeared in the first five Scream movies including 2022's Scream, which was the first film of the franchise that was not directed by Craven.

Scream 7 was originally expected to see the return of Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera after the critical success of 2023's Scream VI and 2022's Scream, which is the fifth installment of the series. Campbell, who notably did not appear in Scream VI, is now confirmed to star in Scream 7 after Barrea and Ortega left the project. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who co-directed the two most recent Scream movies, will not be returning to direct Scream 7. Instead, Kevin Williamson, who wrote the screenplay for the original film, is the director of Scream 7 .

Sidney's Scream 7 Role Hints The Franchise Will Return To Making Ghostface Target Her Family

Whenever Sydney Prescott is in a Scream movie, there is a good chance that the identity of that film's Ghostface is someone who has plans to target Sydney and her family specifically. The first four Ghostfaces in the original movies either had some type of vendetta against Sidney and her family, or the killers were actually related to her, a trend that admittedly got a little old. The reboot films shifted the focus back to Billy and Sam with Sidney not being as much of a target, but her Scream 7 return suggests she'll once again be one of Ghostface's main targets.

If Ortega and Barrera were still involved in the project, it's not entirely certain that Campbell would have returned for Scream 7 or that Williamson would have been brought on to direct. While the news is certainly exciting for original Scream fans, many viewers have not forgotten why Barrera was fired from the Scream film, which led to Ortega and then-director Christopher Landon both stepping away from the franchise altogether. Due to the atypical circumstances surrounding the horror franchise, Campbell's return might not be enough to satisfy some outraged fans.

Ghostface Targeting Sidney's Family Again Is Even Riskier After Her Reboot Movie Changes

Whatever plot Scream 7 ends up following, it will more than likely place Sydney directly at the center of it, meaning that her entire family, including her young children, could get involved in the latest Ghostface's plans. This would mark a new, much darker creative territory for the famed slasher franchise which has never before had Ghostface target kids. There are certainly ways to work around this in Scream 7, but with both Campbell and Williamson the main assets of the franchise once again, the seventh installment could go to more darker places than it has never gone before.