With Scream VI’s impressive $169 million haul at the box-office and sky-high on-demand numbers, one would think Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media would be moving ahead quickly with the next instalment of the Scream franchise. However, it is looking like fans will have to wait a little while for their next Ghostface fix, if industry chatter is to be believed.
A seventh Scream entry is yet-to-be-announced, despite rumours that Paramount had okayed the project over one month ago. Still, no official announcement has materialised, leaving fans in a state of worry, given that Scream VI was announced a mere three weeks after 2022’s Scream slayed the box-office.
However, the industry chatter that is not so quietly brewing suggests a seventh entry is still in the works, but will likely endure a longer gestation period, with active production “likely” to begin in 2024.
Why, you may ask? Quite simply because the success of the previous films has ensured the entire “scream team” is otherwise engaged. Filmmaking team Radio Silence are deep in pre-production for their Universal monster flick, due to shoot this summer. Scream star Melissa Barrera will be joining them on the project as well as having two more horror movies in the pipeline.
Most notably, Scream’s breakout star Jenna Ortega has a packed schedule, currently consisting of filming Beetlejuice 2 in London. Following this, she is expected to begin production on season 2 of Netflix’s Wednesday, keeping the actress occupied until the fall.
Their co-stars are similarly busy, with Mason Gooding set to headline A24’s horror-comedy Y2K, and Jasmin Savoy-Brown taking on Yellowjackets third season.
However, do not fret, although the wait may be agonising for fans, the extended break will allow time to perfect the script and ensure the franchise does not become oversaturated. Who knows, the prolonged gestation period may even allow for better negotiations with series star Neve Campbell and secure her return? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Fear not, more Ghostface antics are on the way, we must be patient!
