Sam Was Almost the Scream 7 Killer: A Detailed Look at the Almost-Produced Plot Twist
Spyglass Media and Paramount once toyed with a Scream 7 that would continue the saga from Scream (2022) and Scream VI, featuring Melissa Barrera as Sam and Jenna Ortega, with Christopher Landon (Freaky, Happy Death Day) directing. But behind the scenes, the plan hit obstacles: Ortega reportedly asked for a substantial pay raise, echoing past pay disputes that have derailed other franchise entries. Then Barrera drew fire for comments about the Israel-Hamas war, which executives at Spyglass didn’t embrace, and Landon subsequently left the project. As a result, Scream 7 was reimagined, with Neve Campbell returning as Sidney Prescott and a new screenplay setup guided by veteran Scream writer Kevin Williamson. The script for the latest installments is now being shaped by Guy Busick (writer for Scream 2022 and Scream VI) from a story he developed with James Vanderbilt, who co-wrote the previous sequels and also serves as a producer.
If the original plan had stayed on track, Skeet Ulrich was expected to reprise his role as Billy Loomis, just as he did in Scream (1996) and would have likely appeared in Scream 7. In a past Entertainment Weekly interview, Ulrich suggested that Barrera’s character, Sam, was intended to turn out to be the killer this time around, continuing the Loomis legacy within the franchise.
The Loomis connection has always been central: Billy Loomis, Sam’s imagined father, was one of the first Ghostface killers in the original film. Although Billy did not survive, Sam’s storyline—haunted by visions of Billy—provided a bridge to Ulrich’s return in later installments. If Barrera had remained in the cast, those spectral appearances were expected to intensify and push Sam toward a dark finale.
Ulrich has since said he is not currently involved in Scream 7 and is unsure of the new direction. He did note that there was once a “really, really interesting” concept for the seventh film, but circumstances changed, leaving him out of the loop on the current plan.
Sam as Ghostface would have been a bold pivot, but likely a risky one. Barrera once expressed that it would be her dream for Sam to become Ghostface, yet turning the heroine of the last two installments into the killer would have been a dramatic departure with mixed fan reaction. It’s possible that concluding Sam’s arc by denying or finally embracing her father’s Ghostface legacy—in an alternate version—could have sparked debate about victim-turned-assailant storytelling in a long-running horror series.
Scream 7 boasts a sizeable cast addition: Neve Campbell rejoined as Sidney Prescott, and Isabel May (from 1883) is on board as Sidney’s daughter, Tatum. The lineup also includes Mckenna Grace, Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann, Sam Rechner, Anna Camp, Mark Consuelos, Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers, Joel McHale as Sidney’s husband Mark Evans, and Ethan Embry. veterans Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown return as Chad Meeks-Martin and Mindy Meeks-Martin. Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley, who previously portrayed Ghostface victims in Scream and Scream 3, are part of the broader roster, while David Arquette reprises his role as the late Dewey.
Release is scheduled for February 27, 2026. Would you have preferred to see Sam become Ghostface, or do you think keeping her as the focal protagonist was the stronger choice for the series’ future? Share your view in the comments below.
