Scream 7 has officially been stamped with an R rating by the MPA for “strong bloody violence, gore, and language.”

That descriptor places the seventh entry exactly where it belongs — inside a legacy that has always understood that horror, to resonate, must cut clean and cut deep. The original 1996 film wasn’t just violent; it was confrontational. It dared audiences to laugh, gasp, and flinch within the same breath. And every sequel since has operated under that same sharp contract.

A Franchise That Never Went PG

For context, here’s how the previous films were classified:

• Scream (1996): “Strong graphic horror violence and gore, and for language”
• Scream 2: “Language and strong bloody violence”
• Scream 3: “Strong horror violence and language”
• Scream 4: “Strong bloody violence, language and some teen drinking”
• Scream (2022): “Strong bloody violence, language throughout, and some sexual references”
• Scream VI: “Strong bloody violence and language throughout, and brief drug use”

If anything, the phrasing for Scream 7 suggests a tonal alignment closer to the more visceral entries — the kind where Ghostface doesn’t just stalk. He escalates.

And with the marketing promising to “Burn It All Down,” subtlety was never on the table.

What the Rating Really Means

An R rating in 2026 doesn’t shock. But it matters. It signals that Scream 7 isn’t sanding down its edges for broader reach. It isn’t chasing PG-13 trends. It’s honoring the DNA— and all the blood — that made the original 1996 film slice through pop culture.

“Burn It All Down” was never going to land with polite cutaways.