Kevin Williamson, the screenwriter who forever altered horror in 1996 is finally directing a Scream film, and it’s the one that brings Sidney Prescott back into the eye of the storm—on her own terms.

During a panel at the ATX TV Festival, Williamson revealed what lured him behind the camera for Scream 7: “The company pitched it to me because they said, ‘This is going to be about Sidney Prescott. It needs to be about Sidney.’ That’s why I would want to do it.”

He added that Scream 7 will explore the parts of Sidney that fans have never seen. “We’ve never gone home with her. We don’t know what her life is about. I want to know those things.” That alone hints at a seismic shift in tone: no longer just the hunted, Sidney becomes the narrative anchor—a woman shaped by survival, not defined by it.

It’s a light that hasn’t been cast on Sidney for a long time, with the requels only dropping hints: a stroller, a wedding ring, the name Mark.

“It was also about the part,” Williamson emphasized. “It was like, ‘You want me to show up at the end of a movie with a gun and help everyone shoot Ghostface? That’s great. I’ll do it.’ She was happy, but she’d also wanted a part. Actresses want to play parts.”

“Working with Neve, we did it together. She was with me every step of the way,” said Williamson. “She walked me through a lot of it. I hope it shows.”

Beyond the Scream universe, Williamson is also set to premiere his new Netflix drama series, The Waterfront, on June 19, 2025. The series follows the Buckley family in Havenport, North Carolina, as they navigate the challenges of maintaining their fishing empire amidst personal and professional turmoil. The cast includes Holt McCallany, Maria Bello, Melissa Benoist, and Jake Weary.

Joel McHale talks Scream 7

Joel McHale, the onscreen husband of Sidney Prescott, Mark Evans, praised the experience on the set of Scream 7:

“Neve and Courteney are true movie stars. Generational talents. So blessed I got to work with them,” he shared on Reddit. He also threw love toward Jasmin Savoy Brown—his Yellowjackets co-star and another survivor in the Screamverse. And as for Williamson? “Kevin Williamson is the goat. Don’t tell Eli [Stern, his California King director].”

Screams In The Park

Another long-anticipated return: Stu Macher. Matthew Lillard confirmed that Kevin Williamson himself called him with the offer—and yes, he literally screamed when he got the news.

“I was on a walk, on a business call, and when I saw it was Kevin, I said, ‘I have to take this.’ I screamed in the middle of the park,” Lillard told ET. Asked about Stu’s role in the plot, the actor dodged the question: “All I can tell you is that he’s in Scream 7. That’s all I can say. The spoilers would be unruly.”

The Ghosts of Screams Past

The legacy buzz hasn’t escaped the attention of Scream 3’s Parker Posey. In a recent interview, she confessed it’s time to dust off Jennifer Jolie’s wig: “I was at a fan expo signing photos and I realized… this should be happening. People would love it.” According to Posey, the Stab franchise inside Scream deserves its comeback—and she wants in.

“That was really fun. I can’t believe Wes Craven let me get away with some of the silly stuff I was doing. I loved him, and that was fun. I’m so glad you enjoyed it,” she told Deadline.

Meanwhile, Scream 2‘s Sarah Michelle Gellar joked that no one called her back. “I kept thinking I would get a call. I didn’t get a call,” she told a reporter. When reminded that her character died, she retorted, “There’s a lot of people that died in Scream movies that are back. Skeet (Ulrich), (Matthew) Lillard… I’m just saying. I’m waiting for my call.”

The Glittering Weight of Legacy

In a moment where Scream is constantly revisited, referenced, and revived across Hollywood, Jenna Ortega’s reflections on Scream V add an unexpectedly poetic detail to the mythos.

Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar, she recalled the surreal feeling of slipping into the scene: “The first time you see the robe and the mask, you definitely get chills. It’s weird. It feels like you’re not supposed to be seeing it.” Then she dropped a glittering piece of trivia: “They actually have glitter on them. Someone committing such gruesome acts should not be covered in glitter—yet they are.”

It’s true: some Ghostface’s robes are made with lurex, a metallic thread that reflects light during chase scenes. Designed to shimmer in the shadows, the robe was meant to make Ghostface flicker in and out of darkness—stylish, spectral, and terrifying.

Jenna also recalled her audition process, which included a cold read of the iconic opening scene and the hospital sequence with Melissa Barrera. “It was supposed to be this really emotional scene,” she said, referring to the moment Sam reveals a massive secret about their family. Even before she was cast, the legacy was already weighing heavy—glitter and all.

With a returning cast, a real story for Sidney, and a glitter-drenched killer on the prowl, Scream 7 isn’t just a nostalgic reunion—it’s a full-circle moment.