The horror genre has been experiencing a renaissance for years, to the delight of fans. Some of the best horror movies returned to theaters with new sequels, including Wes Craven's Scream. A seventh movie is in development, with Neve Campbell returning as franchise hero Sidney Prescott. A rumor about the upcoming horror movie claims that a Scream legacy character has a very big role, and as a hardcore fan I hope it's true.
What we know about Scream 7 is still rather limited, as casting and development for the slasher sequel is still underway. Fans are eager to see Sidney back after she was noticeably missing from Scream VI (which is streaming with a Paramount+ subscription), but they're also curious about what other legacy characters might pop up. A rumor indicates that Hayden Panettiere is in talks to return, and that her character Kirby Reed will have a bigger presence than in the previous movie. Kirby ie one of my favorite characters of all time, so I'm really hoping that this report is true.
Fans campaigned for Kirby to return in Scream VI, to the delight of Hayden Panettiere. Whether or not she died in Scream 4 was debated for years, and her survival was confirmed in an easter egg for 2022's Scream. Since she made it out alive in the last movie, it seems logical for her to be back in the next installment. And after her having a supporting role and being a red herring for the killer in the sixth film, it'll be great to see her possibly become an even bigger presence in the next one.
While Kirby and Gale got a few interactions in the most recent installment, Neve Campbell's absence from Scream VI means that she and Sidney never got to meet again. So if this rumor is to be believed, they'll finally share the screen again in the seventh film. And if Kirby has a bigger role this time around, their reunions feels all the more logical.
Another rumor swirling around online claims that Kirby might even be getting a spinoff after Scream 7 hits theaters. We should probably take this with a grain of salt for the time being, but it shows how much of a fan favorite Hayden Panettiere's Woodsboro native with fans like me.
Since Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega won't be back for Scream 7, the door (and budget) is presumably open for more legacy characters to return and face off against Ghostface. In addition to Kirby, I'm also hoping to see the long-awaited return of Patrick Dempsey as Mark Kincaid aka Sidney's husband and the father of her children. He's also been rumored to be in talks to reprise that Scream 3 role, although there's been no official word from Paramount.
At the time of writing this story, Scream 7 doesn't currently have a release date. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates to see what titles you want to see in theaters.
