Courteney Cox confirms her return for ‘Scream 7’ after major cast shake-up

Courteney Cox is officially returning to the Scream franchise for the highly anticipated seventh installment, despite a wave of major cast shakeups.

With the stars of the sixth episode, Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, dropping out due to controversy and scheduling conflicts, the casting lineup has changed dramatically. Only Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding are expected to return, leaving Courteney Cox’s Gale Weathers as the iconic slasher’s longest-lasting character.

“I’m the longest running Scream queen, so I guess I can’t stop now,” Cox said at the Inc. 5000 conference in Palm Desert, marking her commitment to Scream VII.

The status of Hayden Panettiere’s character, who made a comeback in Scream VIremains uncertain.

The franchise is also seeing changes behind the scenes. With Christopher Landon no longer directing, Kevin Williamson, the original screenwriter, will now take the helm for the seventh film, set for release in 2026.

Similarly, Neve Campbell also confirmed her return as Sydney Prescott in March Scream VII after serving the previous term due to salary disputes.