Eight months before Scream 7 slices into theaters, Kevin Williamson—the mind who started it all—is back in the director’s chair. And it wasn’t the studio that finally lured him in.

It was Sidney Prescott.

In two revealing new interviews with Collider and Screen Rant, Williamson opened up about the emotional, creative, and very personal reasons behind his decision to direct the latest installment of the franchise he birthed nearly 30 years ago. From honoring Wes Craven to honoring Neve Campbell, Scream 7 promises a return to what’s always made these movies resonate: character.

“She Was the Angel on My Shoulder”

It began with a phone call. Neve Campbell had read the script for Scream 7, by Guy Busick and story by James Vanderbilt. She liked what she saw. More than that—she saw something that only Kevin could bring to life. So she called him.

“Neve called me one day and said, ‘I think you should direct this.’ And I went, ‘No, no, no, no, no… okay, I’ll do it,’” Williamson told Screen Rant.

But the decision wasn’t easy. Williamson had distanced himself creatively from the series after Scream 4, still feeling the loss of his creative partner, Wes Craven.

“One of the reasons I moved away from the franchise after 4 was because I didn’t want to do it without Wes,” he told Collider. “It was the weirdest thing… one part of me was saying no, but I knew yes was going to come out of my mouth.”

“Let’s Go Home With Her”

Unlike past entries, Scream 7 will not be about college campuses or subway trains. It’s about Sidney—where she is now, what she’s become, and what it means to live through horror and keep moving forward.

“Now, what I love about this movie is that we get to go home with her,” Williamson explained. “To see who she is today… how she’s raising her children… what kind of person lives through everything she’s lived through, and still manages to wake up and be a mother, and a business owner.”

Williamson says it’s more than just another slasher sequel. It’s personal.

“I’m just totally immersed in Sidney Prescott… all these different incarnations of her life, as seen through the franchise.”

A Franchise Reinvented

As Scream 7 took shape, it had to pivot. The original plan—another “Core Four” film—died when Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega left the project. That creative void could’ve killed momentum.

Instead, it created something deeper.

“After we lost Melissa and Jenna, it was kind of a bummer. And then this idea to bring Sidney Prescott back—and not just bring her back, but to focus on her character—that got really exciting for me,” Williamson said.

The result was a reinvigorated script from Busick, which Campbell approved. The studio approved. And finally, Williamson said yes.

What Makes Scream Endure

What keeps Scream from going stale, Williamson says, is that it’s not tied to any one town or even one killer. It’s the mystery—and the constant reinvention.

“There’s never one killer. There’s always a new motive,” he told Collider. “What I love about Scream is that it can take so many different avenues… It’s broadened, and it’s grown, and it keeps going.”

“It’s Scream 7. Let’s not fool ourselves. How do you do that? It’s a challenge. You want the audience to be scared and have a good time, but Scream is a lot more than that. It’s comedic, dramatic, emotional, and scary.”

Cut to Black: What Comes Next—and When?

With the movie hitting theaters in February 27, 2026, fans are sharpening their knives for the first Scream 7 trailer. But don’t hold your breath—at least not yet.

“I don’t know. That’s a good question,” Williamson told Collider when asked about the teaser. “I’m still editing. That’s the next phase.”