Taylor Sheridan's Most Divisive Star Just Took ‘Scream 7’ to New Box Office Heights

Fans of the decades-old Scream series turned out in force for Scream 7, despite the high-profile exits that preceded its release. Melissa Barrera was removed after pro-Palestine social media posts were deemed unacceptable by Spyglass Media Group, Jenna Ortega refused to return, and director Christopher Landon also departed; the film was reportedly rewritten at a cost of $500,000 to center on Sidney Prescott, played by Neve Campbell.

Campbell, absent from Scream VI over a salary dispute, returned for this installment and her presence is being cited as a major reason for the weekend’s success. The cast includes Isabel May and Michelle Randolph, both known from Taylor Sheridan projects. Critics were unimpressed: the movie opened as the lowest-rated entry in the franchise with a 34% score on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads, "Less a return to Scream's roots than a disappointing creative regression, this seventh entry draws little blood with its dull knife of a script." Box office receipts told a different story.

scream 7, neve campbell, sidney prescott, melissa barrera, jenna ortega, christopher landon, taylor sheridan, spyglass media, box office, rotten tomatoes