Horror is a tried and true genre in the film world, one capable of great financial earnings when paired with a small budget. The horror renaissance has resulted in some of the best horror movies returning to theaters, including Wes Craven's Scream. The last two movies were helmed by filmmaking duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and both the 2022 Scream and Scream VI were wild box office successes. But Scream 7 is reportedly going to change directors, and I'm really bummed.
To be clear, this is just a rumor at this point, and hasn't been confirmed officially the powers that be at Paramount. But Bloody Disgusting is reporting that the folks at Radio Silence won't be returning for the upcoming seventh Scream movie. Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon is reportedly in talks to get behind the camera. And while he's a great filmmaker and I love that franchise, I think it's a misstep to continue on without Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett, who both seem committed to the beloved slasher property.
Radio Silence had some big shoes to fill when filming the 2022 Scream movie. It marked the first movie since Wes Craven died, and they put special care into honoring his legacy. Whether it was reference to previous movie or the full-on memorial scene built into the script, it was clear that the franchise meant a great deal to the pair of filmmakers. Fans were similarly impressed, which is likely why Scream VI broke records for the franchise when it arrived back in January.
So why would Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett miss out on directing Scream 7 as these rumors claim? Per the report by Bloody Disgusting, their schedule is tied up thanks to Radio Silence's upcoming Universal Monsters movie. And presumably that's why they couldn't also work on the next Scream movie. Considering the Universal flick had already begun filming, this rumor also indicates that Paramount is hoping to move forward with a new Scream movie sooner rather than later. Although if I were an exec at the studio I'd wait for the pair of directors so they could move forward with their third movie in the slasher property.
I had the privilege of speaking with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett a number of times throughout the last few years as they promoted their two Scream movies. It certainly seemed like they had ideas for another installment, including more Scream legacy characters that they hinted at returning. So the idea of them not directing the next one is definitely a bummer.
If Paramount is trying to film Scream 7 sooner rather than later, there could be another scheduling conflict to worry about. Namely Tara actress Jenna Ortega, whose star power has been steadily growing over the last few years. She's got a number of projects lined up including Season 2 of Wednesday, Beetlejuice 2, and a whopping five other movies. Does this mean that Scream 7 won't have the fan favorite character? We'll just have to see if these rumors turn out to be true.
Both of Radio Silence's Scream movies are current streaming with a Paramount+ subscription. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
