The theories about Scream 7 potentially becoming a super-meta New Nightmare-esque entry in the slasher franchise are starting to sound more and more likely. That, or Sidney Prescott being hounded by AI and deepfakes. Why do I say that? Because David Arquette has just joined the cast of Scream 7 as none other than Deputy Dewey Riley, a previous main character in the film series who was violently killed off in the fifth Scream.
Dewey's return is just the latest of several dead characters coming back for Scream 7, which will see original scribe Kevin Williamson direct a Scream film for the first time. The news comes from Deadline, although the outlet says all other details about the character are being kept under wraps. All we know for now is that the three dead characters returning—which includes Scott Foley as Roman Bridger and Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher—will do so in a surprising way.
Stu previously died in the first Scream after it was revealed that he and Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) were working together as the Ghostface killers. The character of Roman was later revealed to be Sidney's secret half-brother and the third movie's Ghostface. Dewey and Sidney kill him.
I can't think of anything more surprising than if the actors were to play themselves or some other significant fourth-wall breakage. Either that, or people are making videos and edits to mess with Sidney's head.
Yes, it's looking increasingly like the seventh Scream is going to try and play into the nostalgia factor in a big way as it was already confirmed that Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox would be returning as Sidney and Gale Weathers.
The sixth Scream film was released in 2023 and earned the highest box office gross of the entire franchise with more than $169 million worldwide. Ironically, Scream 6 is also the only movie in the series not to feature Campbell. Instead, it focused heavily on the new characters Sam and Tara Carpenter who were introduced in Scream 5. Unfortunately, neither Melissa Barrera or Jenna Ortega will return for the seventh movie.
However, Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown are reprising their roles as the Meeks-Martin twins, who were close friends with the Carpenter sisters in the two previous movies.
In addition to all of the returning character in Scream 7, the next film will also feature a lot of newcomers to the franchise like Anna Camp, Mark Consuelos, Mckenna Grace, Asa Germann, Ethan Embry, Sam Rechner, Joel McHale, and Celeste O'Connor.
Scream 7 is expected to be released in theaters on February 27, 2026.