Summary
The anticipation forScream 7has only increased since the announcement that Neve Campbell would be returning to the franchise as the legendary final girl, Sidney Prescott. This has led to fans ruminating about the possible outcomes for Sidney in the upcoming sequel. Horror movie fans are eager to find out whether her character willonce again survive an attack from Ghostface, or whether she will finally be killed off.
Kevin Williamson, who created theScreamfranchise, has signed on to directScream 7.The project features a screenplay by Gus Busick, who co-wroteScream (2022)andScream 6with James Vanderbilt. There is no news on when the upcoming sequel will begin filming. Currently, Campbell is the only cast member attached to the project. There are talks ongoing for Courteney Cox to reprise her iconic role of Gale Weathers, and Patrick Dempsey is rumored to return for the first time sinceScream 3as Mark Kincaid. But since we know Sidney Prescott is coming back, what’s going to happen to her this time around?
Would Sidney’s Death Ruin the Franchise?
Sidney Prescottis the ultimate final girl in the slasher genre. So far, she has survived fiveScreammovies, and nine different iterations of the Ghostface killer. She is a formidable heroine who consistently dispatches every killer who tries to defeat her. But how many times can this legendary character survive before it becomes unfeasible — and before the franchise has to move on?
Neve Campbell’s returnas Sidney will see her have another battle withGhostface inScream 7, which has raised questions over what might happen to her character as a result of this conflict. She’s a grown woman, married to former Detective Mark Kincaid, and now has a young family to protect. Neve Campbell didn’t return as Sidney forScream 6due to a pay dispute with Spyglass. Her absence was explained by Courteney Cox’s character, Gale Weathers, who revealed that Sidney had gone into hiding with Mark and the kids. After so many battles with Ghostface, she deserved her happy ending.
Unfortunately for Sidney, that happy ending looks to be short-lived, as Ghostface will target her once again inScream 7. Still, it is unlikely he will manage to kill her this time, as that would cause outrage with legacy fans.If she was to die, it would ruin everything that has happened to Sidney in the previous movies,and wouldn’t make a fitting end for an indomitable character. The ultimate final girl can’t die inScream 7, right? Or could she?
Neve Campbell Said She Wouldn’t Return if the Plan Was to Kill Sidney
It is very unlikely Sidney Prescott will be killed off inScream 7.Plot reasons aside, Neve Campbell has stated she wouldn’t want to return if the plan was for Ghostface to murder her character. She said in aninterview with The Hollywood Reporter:
I think it is important [that she never becomes a victim in these movies]. She does represent a certain amount of strength and lack of victimhood, and that means a great deal to people. I’ve had a lot of people come up to me in the past and just say that she inspired them in some way or helped them in their lives in some way, which is not what you normally expect when you’re performing in a horror film. I certainly would hate to see Sidney fall. I think it would be the wrong message.
This doesn’t mean that Sidney won’t be killed off, but it strongly suggestsCampbell wouldn’t return if the plan was to go against how she sees the character.To her, and to many fans, Sidney is the ultimate survivor, and there’s importance in that. However, money talks in Hollywood. If Spyglass offered her enough money to return, with the caveat that Sidney would have to die, it might be hard for Campbell to turn down, especially after she missed out onScream 6due to a pay dispute. However, it’s also highly unlikely that Kevin Williamson would have signed on to directScream 7, if the plan was to kill the final girl he created all those years ago.
What Are the Stakes for Scream 7 if Sidney Can’t Die?
Neve Campbell’s insistence on Sidney Prescott remaining alive the franchise does create a problem forScream 7. If, as expected, Sidney is the focus of the upcoming sequel, there is an argument that knowing she isn’t going to die doesn’t giveScream 7any high stakes. This could reduce the threat of Ghostface, and the sense of tension so essential in horror.
The Scream sequels arguably became a bit safe over the years. Sidney,Gale Weathersand Dewey Riley would always survive the Ghostface attacks, leading the audience to believe they would never be killed off. For many audiences, this lowered the stakes somewhat. However, when Dewey died inScream (2022),those stakes were raised again, making the audience believe anyone could die.
Gale came close to dying inScream 6, but ultimately survived a brutal attack. With this, the franchise risked making the same mistakes as the previous entries, as every main character survived the latest sequel.IfScream 7is to succeed, introducing the possibility that Sidney could die is probably the best way forward.This doesn’t mean she has to die, but the audience need to at least question her fate in the upcoming sequel.
