Apparently, David Arquette has his ex-wife Courteney Cox to thank for bringing Dewey Riley back to the Scream franchise.
An insider reportedly told InTouch Weekly that Cox dedicated herself to "rebuilding the Scream franchise from the ground up" ever since plans fell through for the original Scream 7, when "the stars and director left the project."
Despite the source's claims, that's not exactly what happened with Scream 7. Actress Melissa Barrera, who had played lead Sam Carpenter for the past two movies, was fired by Scream production company Spyglass Media Group after a social media post she made in support of the Palestinian cause was deemed antisemitic.
Not long after Barrera was let go, her on-screen sister Jenna Ortega, who played Tara Carpenter, exited the project. It was never confirmed, but many believe Ortega left in support of her co-star. Barrera has garnered significant support since her firing by people who feel Spyglass' treatment of her was unfair, with some calling for a boycott of the seventh movie.
Original director Christopher Landon exited the project, too, amid the controversy.
The source neglects to mention any of these factors in their statement to InTouch, instead noting that the Gale Weathers actress "has helped turn the re-imagined movie into a once-in-a-lifetime reunion of the classic 1996 original."
But is that a good thing? Is that even what fans want? Many of us had grown attached to the Carpenter sisters and would have preferred to see their story come to its natural conclusion.
Even diehard Scream fans have expressed doubts about the Scream 7 casting. Bringing back formerly dead characters feels more like a cynical, nostalgic cash grab, not necessarily the right choice to take the series.
Matthew Lillard, who has been confirmed to return as one of the original Ghostface killers, Stu Macher, said he was nervous about returning and potentially tarnishing the series' legacy.
But Cox really wanted her real-life ex-husband back on the cast and fought to bring him back.
“They both see the Scream movies as a huge part of their careers and personal stories, but David would not be back in the cast if Courteney hadn’t insisted on it."
The insider also said that the Friends alum wanted Arquette back because she feels having him there makes "the special tone and comedy" of the horror franchise work, especially now with so many original actors returning.
Filming is finally getting started on Scream 7 after a "full year of dealmaking," but it remains to be seen just how these various plot threads and characters will come together to form a cohesive plot. Original Scream scribe Kevin Williamson is directing for the first time in the franchise, another person Cox encouraged to return.