Scream (franchise)
Updated: 5/24/2026, 7:02:57 PM Wikipedia source
Scream is an American slasher franchise that includes seven films, a television series, merchandise, and games. The first four films were directed by Wes Craven. The series was created by Kevin Williamson, who wrote the first two films and the fourth, and returned to direct and co-write the seventh film. Ehren Kruger wrote the third. The fifth and sixth installments were directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, with Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt serving as writers and Williamson returning as executive producer. Busick and Vanderbilt also co-wrote the seventh entry. Dimension Films produced the first four films. Spyglass Media Group took over the rights from the fifth film on with Paramount Pictures distributing. The film series has grossed over US$1 billion at the global box office. Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, and Roger L. Jackson (who voices the various Ghostface killers) starred in the first five films, and returned for the seventh. Cox and Jackson also reprised their roles for the sixth film and are the only cast members to feature in all seven films to date, with Cox also being the only actress to appear in seven consecutive films of a horror franchise. Hayden Panettiere stars in the fourth and sixth films, while Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown star in the fifth and sixth, with Gooding and Brown also reprising their roles in the seventh. Jamie Kennedy and Liev Schreiber feature in the first three films, and Marley Shelton appears in the fourth and fifth. Skeet Ulrich stars in the first and cameos in the fifth and sixth installments, Matthew Lillard stars in the first and features in the seventh, Laurie Metcalf stars in the second and cameos in the seventh, Scott Foley stars in the third and cameos in the seventh, and Jack Quaid stars in the fifth and cameos in the sixth. Additionally, Heather Matarazzo makes cameo appearances in the third and fifth films, as does Nancy O'Dell in the second, third and fourth. Having appeared in the iconic opening scene of the first film and on its poster, Drew Barrymore is strongly associated with the franchise. The series has also featured many notable actors making single-film appearances in supporting cast roles or as cameos. Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), Scream (2022), and Scream VI (2023) received high praise from critics. Scream 3 (2000) received a more mixed response, as did Scream 4 (2011), Craven's final film; both were later reappraised and the fourth film was generally seen as a return to form for the series. Meanwhile, Scream 7 (2026) received mostly negative reviews from critics but became the highest grossing movie in the franchise. Commercially, all the films have been high performers at the box office apart from Scream 4, which had a disappointing domestic run. The film series has also been the recipient of several awards and nominations, including winning Best Movie twice at the MTV Movie & TV Awards (for Scream in 1996 and Scream VI in 2023). An eighth film is in early development.
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| Film | U . release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Story by | Producers |
| Scream | December 20, 1996 | Wes Craven | Kevin Williamson | Cary Woods, Harvey Weinstein, & Cathy Konrad | |
| Scream 2 | December 12, 1997 | Wes Craven, Cathy Konrad, Harvey Weinstein, & Marianne Maddalena | |||
| Scream 3 | February 4, 2000 | Ehren Kruger | Cathy Konrad, Kevin Williamson, Harvey Weinstein, & Marianne Maddalena | ||
| Scream 4 | April 15, 2011 | Kevin Williamson | Wes Craven, Iya Labunka, & Kevin Williamson | ||
| Scream | January 14, 2022 | Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett | James Vanderbilt & Guy Busick | Paul Neinstein, William Sherak & James Vanderbilt | |
| Scream VI | March 10, 2023 | ||||
| Scream 7 | February 27, 2026 | Kevin Williamson | Kevin Williamson & Guy Busick | James Vanderbilt & Guy Busick | |
| Untitled eighth Scream film | TBA | TBA | Lilla Zuckerman & Nora Zuckerman | TBA | TBA |
| Character | Films | Television series | ||||||||
| Scream | Scream 2 | Scream 3 | Scream 4 | Scream | Scream VI | Scream 7 | Scream | |||
| 1996 | 1997 | 2000 | 2011 | 2022 | 2023 | 2026 | Season 1 2015 | Season 2 2016 | Season 3 2019 | |
| Ghostface | Roger L. JacksonV | Roger L. JacksonV | ||||||||
| Sidney Prescott | Neve Campbell | Neve Campbell | ||||||||
| Gale Weathers | Courteney Cox | |||||||||
| Dewey Riley | David Arquette | David ArquetteCM | ||||||||
| Randy Meeks | Jamie Kennedy | Jamie KennedyCM | ||||||||
| Cotton Weary | Liev SchreiberCM | Liev Schreiber | ||||||||
| Billy Loomis | Skeet Ulrich | Skeet UlrichC | ||||||||
| Stu Macher | Matthew Lillard | Matthew LillardM | ||||||||
| Neil Prescott | Lawrence Hecht | Lawrence HechtC | ||||||||
| Hank Loomis | C. W. Morgan | C. W. MorganCM | ||||||||
| Casey Becker | Drew Barrymore | Heather GrahamCM | ||||||||
| Maureen Prescott | Lynn McReeCPU | Lynn McReePM | ||||||||
| Reporter | Nancy O'DellCM | |||||||||
| Nancy Loomis | Laurie Metcalf | Laurie MetcalfCM | ||||||||
| Martha Meeks | Heather Matarazzo | Heather MatarazzoC | ||||||||
| Roman Bridger | Scott Foley | Scott FoleyCM | ||||||||
| Kirby Reed | Hayden Panettiere | Hayden PanettiereP | Hayden Panettiere | |||||||
| Judy Hicks | Marley Shelton | |||||||||
| Sam Carpenter | Melissa Barrera | |||||||||
| Tara Carpenter | Jenna Ortega | |||||||||
| Chad Meeks-Martin | Mason Gooding | |||||||||
| Mindy Meeks-Martin | Jasmin Savoy Brown | |||||||||
| Richie Kirsch | Jack Quaid | Jack QuaidCMU | ||||||||
| Lakewood SlasherShallow Grove Slasher | Mike VaughnV | |||||||||
| Emma Duval | Willa FitzgeraldKarsyn DarbyYMadison WolfeY | Willa FitzgeraldKarsyn DarbyY | ||||||||
| Audrey Jensen | Bex Taylor-Klaus | |||||||||
| Noah Foster | John Karna | |||||||||
| Kieran Wilcox | Amadeus Serafini | |||||||||
| Brooke Maddox | Carlson Young | |||||||||
| Maggie Duval | Tracy MiddendorfKarsyn DarbyYAnna Grace BarlowY | Tracy MiddendorfCaitlin Ashley-ThompsonY | ||||||||
| Jake Fitzgerald | Tom MadenR | |||||||||
| Seth Branson | Bobby CampoR | |||||||||
| Quinn Maddox | Bryan BattR | |||||||||
| Rachel Murray | Sosie BaconR | Sosie BaconG | ||||||||
| Kevin Duval | Tom Everett ScottG | Tom Everett ScottR | ||||||||
| Crew/detail | Films | |||||||
| Scream | Scream 2 | Scream 3 | Scream 4 | Scream | Scream VI | Scream 7 | ||
| 1996 | 1997 | 2000 | 2011 | 2022 | 2023 | 2026 | ||
| Composer | Marco Beltrami | Brian Tyler | Brian Tyler Sven Faulconer | Marco Beltrami | ||||
| Cinematographer | Mark Irwin | Peter Deming | Brett Jutkiewicz | Ramsey Nickell | ||||
| Editor | Patrick Lussier | Peter McNulty | Michel Aller | Jay Prychidny | Jim Page | |||
| Production company | Woods Entertainment | Konrad Pictures Craven/Maddalena Films | Corvus Corax Productions Outerbanks Entertainment The Weinstein Company | Radio Silence Productions Project X Entertainment Spyglass Media Group | Project X Entertainment Spyglass Media Group | |||
| Distributor | Dimension Films | Paramount Pictures | ||||||
| Film | U . release date | Budget | Box office gross | All-time ranking worldwide | Ref. | ||
| U . and Canada | Other territories | Worldwide | |||||
| Scream (1996) | December 20, 1996 | $14 million | $103,046,663 | $69,999,977 | $173,046,640 | ,145 | |
| Scream 2 | December 12, 1997 | $24 million | $101,363,301 | $71,000,000 | $172,363,301 | ,152 | |
| Scream 3 | February 4, 2000 | $40 million | $89,143,175 | $72,691,101 | $161,838,076 | ,245 | |
| Scream 4 | April 15, 2011 | $40 million | $38,180,928 | $58,957,758 | $97,138,686 | ,001 | |
| Scream (2022) | January 14, 2022 | $24 million | $81,641,405 | $57,233,384 | $138,874,789 | ,447 | |
| Scream VI | March 10, 2023 | $35 million | $108,391,107 | $60,672,743 | $169,063,850 | ,178 | |
| Scream 7 | February 27, 2026 | $45 million | $121,935,967 | $91,900,000 | $213,835,967 | ||
| Total | $222 million | $643,702,546 | $482,454,963 | $1,126,161,309 | |||
| Film | Critical | Public | ||
| Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore | ||
| Scream | 78% (131 reviews) | 66 (26 reviews) | B+ | |
| Scream 2 | 83% (133 reviews) | 62 (22 reviews) | B+ | |
| Scream 3 | 45% (164 reviews) | 56 (32 reviews) | B | |
| Scream 4 | 61% (191 reviews) | 52 (32 reviews) | B− | |
| Scream | 76% (300 reviews) | 60 (49 reviews) | B+ | |
| Scream VI | 77% (317 reviews) | 61 (53 reviews) | B+ | |
| Scream 7 | 30% (213 reviews) | 35 (42 reviews) | B− | |