'Scream 7' rules the box office with record opening weekend
'Scream 7' rules the box office with record opening weekend
Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYSun, March 1, 2026 at 7:06 PM UTC
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You can't keep Ghostface down.
"Scream 7" has sliced its way to No. 1 at the domestic box office, scoring the biggest opening weekend in the horror franchise's 30-year history.
The latest slasher sequel starring Neve Campbell debuted with $64.1 million in North American theaters, according to estimates from Comscore released on Sunday. This surpasses the franchise's previous biggest opening weekend of $44.4 million for 2023's "Scream VI." It's also the biggest opening weekend of 2026 so far, topping the $32.8 million launch of "Wuthering Heights."
Prior to "Scream VI," the fifth "Scream" movie, which was the series' first new entry in over a decade, opened to $30 million in January 2022 amid continued COVID-19 concerns. 2011's "Scream 4," the series' lowest-grossing installment, started with $18.7 million in 2011.
Campbell stars as five-time Ghostface survivor Sidney Prescott in "Scream 7," in which a mysterious new killer emerges to target her and her teenage daughter, played by series newcomer Isabel May. Courteney Cox, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding and Joel McHale also star.
Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott in "Scream 7."
The success of "Scream 7" is a win for Paramount after the sequel's production was plagued by controversy, starting with the firing of Melissa Barrera.
'Scream 7' star Isabel May reveals Neve Campbell's touching 'maternal act'
In 2023, Barrera, who played lead character Sam Carpenter in the most recent two "Scream" films, was removed from "Scream 7" over her social media posts about the Israel-Hamas war, which production company Spyglass alleged constituted hate speech. Barrera, who has been supportive of Palestine and critical of Israel, said at the time that she condemns "hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people."
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On Wednesday, Feb. 25, pro-Palestine protesters demonstrated outside the "Scream 7" Los Angeles premiere. Barrera seemed to address the demonstrations by writing on Instagram, "I see you."
Jenna Ortega, who played the sister of Barrera's character in the previous two "Scream" movies, also declined to return for "Scream 7." She later tied her decision to Barrera's firing and the exit of directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who helmed both of the "Scream" movies she starred in. "It had nothing to do with pay or scheduling," Ortega told The Cut. "The Melissa [Barrera] stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart."
Ghostface in "Scream 7."
Director Christopher Landon also announced his exit from "Scream 7" in 2023, describing the project as a "dream job that turned into a nightmare." He has said the decision to fire Barrera was out of his hands but that it caused him to receive death threats.
Beware of Ghostface! All 7 'Scream' movies ranked, including new one
After these exits, "Scream 7" hit the reset button and turned focus back to Campbell. Her character, Sidney Prescott, was the protagonist of the first four "Scream" movies from 1996 to 2011. But Sidney transitioned into a supporting role in the fifth installment, released in 2022, as Barrera's Sam Carpenter took center stage as the new lead. Sidney was then absent entirely from 2023's "Scream VI" after Campbell declined to return due to a pay dispute.
1 / 0See Courteney Cox, Neve Campbell, David Arquette at 'Scream 7' premiere
The "Scream 7" cast showed out for the global premiere at Paramount Pictures Studios on Feb. 25, 2026, in Los Angeles. See the stars on the black carpet, beginning here, from left, with Joel McHale, Skeet Ulrich, Celeste O'Connor, Ethan Embry, Jimmy Tatro, Mckenna Grace, Scott Foley, Anna Camp, Matthew Lillard, Sam Rechner, Timothy Simons, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Isabel May, Victor Turpin, Neve Campbell, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding.
The offscreen firing resulted in an unusual situation where a franchise passed the torch to a new lead, only to return back to the original star who held the torch in the first place. The whereabouts of Barrera and Ortega's characters is not explained in "Scream 7."
Critics have not been kind to "Scream 7," which holds the lowest score of the series on Rotten Tomatoes. This marks a significant decline from the previous two "Scream" installments, both of which were well-reviewed. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave "Scream 7" an average grade of B-, tying "Scream 4" as the worst rated film in the franchise.
After the box office receipts for "Scream 7," another sequel appears inevitable. But it's an open question whether this mixed response will mean audiences soon start sending Ghostface straight to voicemail.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Scream 7' box office — How opening compared to previous movies
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
