Melissa Barrera’s Sam Carpenter was originally set to become Ghostface in Scream 7 before Barrera’s firing, according to Skeet Ulrich.
Ulrich revealed the original plan for his character Billy Loomis in the Scream franchise. The plan for Scream 7 was for Billy to slowly influence his daughter Sam Carpenter (Barrera) over three movies, eventually turning her into the killer.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Ulrich said, “I’ve been vocal about that. I’m not [returning]. When we talked about coming back for 5, it was a three-picture arc for Billy Loomis to slowly turn his daughter into the killer. Obviously, those things didn’t pan out, given certain things that happened. But no, I know nothing about the seventh.”
When asked about returning for Scream 7, Ulrich confirmed he is not involved, explaining that when he came back for Scream 5, it was intended to be part of a three-film arc. Billy Loomis originally died in the 1996 film, but returned in Scream 5 and Scream VI as a ghostly hallucination guiding Sam.
The creative shift began after several major production setbacks, including the departure of directors Radio Silence (Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin), the firing of Barrera over social media posts related to the Israel–Gaza conflict, the exit of Jenna Ortega soon after, and the subsequent departure of director Christopher Landon.
The upcoming Scream 7 is directed by Kevin Williamson from a screenplay he co-wrote with Guy Busick, based on a story by James Vanderbilt and Busick. Scream 7 now centers on Sidney’s (Neve Campbell) family—her daughter Tatum (Isabel May) and husband Mark (Joel McHale)—as they face a new Ghostface.
Scream 7 Cast Details:
- Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott
- Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers
- Isabel May as Tatum Evans
- Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin
- Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin
- Anna Camp
- Joel McHale as Mark Evans
- Mckenna Grace
- Michelle Randolph
- Jimmy Tatro
- Asa Germann
- Celeste O’Connor
- Sam Rechner
- Ethan Embry
- Tim Simons
- Mark Consuelos
- Roger L. Jackson as Ghostface (voice)
Scream 7 will hit theaters in the United States on February 27, 2026, distributed by Paramount Pictures.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
