The Hollywood strikes may have brought film projects to a grinding halt, but that has not stopped Spyglass Media from drawing up plans for a Scream sequel. The iconic horror franchise is gearing up for its seventh installment, and the director for the highly anticipated project has finally been identified.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Christopher Landon, who’s best known for his work on the slasher series of films Happy Death Day, and 2020’s Freaky, has officially signed on to direct Scream 7. The American filmmaker took to Twitter to announce the news with an image of Ghostface and a caption reading:
Looks like 7 really is a lucky number.
More to come…
Looks like 7 really is a lucky number.
More to come… pic.twitter.com/4MOfXIGJwa
— christopher landon (@creetureshow) August 2, 2023
Landon is set to step in for Radio Silence’s duo, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who helmed the last two films in the Scream series. Regardless, the two directors will still be involved as executive producers, alongside Chad Villella, who’s also a co-founder of Radio Silence Productions.
While it’s unclear if James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick will be back to pen the script, there’s a strong possibility that Landon will take on the writing duties, given his exceptional track record of writing most of the films he directed – plus, you know, writers are on strike.
Actors Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, and Mason Gooding have not been confirmed for the upcoming film, but there is a strong belief that once the actors’ strike is resolved, they will ink deals to reprise their respective roles.
However, it’s worth noting that Jenna Ortega signed on to star in Scream 6 before she gained widespread recognition for her titular role in Netflix’s Wednesday. Given this, there’s a high likelihood that the terms of her new contract will differ significantly from her previous offer.
Paramount Pictures will be hoping to catch lightning in a bottle twice (seven times?) after the success of Scream 6. The film received universal acclaim from both critics and audiences, raking in an impressive $100 million at the domestic box office.
This achievement not only made it the first film in the franchise to reach such a milestone since Scream 2 but also crowned it as the highest-grossing film in the franchise in both the US and Canada. Naturally, it is far too early to theorize about possible premiere dates for Scream 7.
