Courteney Cox ‘in talks’ to reprise classic role in Scream 7 as Neve Campbell rejoins horror franchise

Cox first played Gale Weathers in the first Scream film in 1996

Courteney Cox is in talks to reprise her role in the Scream franchise, a new report claims.

As well as her role as Monica Geller in Friends, Cox is known to many for her portrayal of Gale Weathers in all of the horror franchise’s films so far, starting with Scream in 1996 and most recently in the 2023 sixth edition, Scream VI.

On Friday (29 March), Variety reported that the actor is now having conversations to return for the seventh outing of the film, according to multiple sources.

Scream 7 has been the subject of much discussion in recent months, following the departure of former series star Melissa Barrera, Wednesday actor Jenna Ortega and former director Christopher Landon.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Neve Campbell had rejoined the franchise. The actor, who has played series protagonist Sidney Prescott in five of the Scream films, initially exited the films a year before Scream VI was filmed after a pay dispute.

Initially, Campbell had explained that the studio’s salary offer “did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise”.

However, the 50-year-old actor shared news of her return with an Instagram post on 12 March.

Courteney Cox has played Gale Weathers in the Scream films since 1996 (Getty / Alamy)

“Sidney Prescott is coming back!!!!” Campbell wrote, alongside a picture of the movie script’s cover. “It’s always been such a blast and an honour to get to play Sidney in the Scream movies. My appreciation for these films and for what they have meant to me, has never waned. I’m very happy and proud to say I’ve been asked, in the most respectful way, to bring Sidney back to the screen and I couldn’t be more thrilled.”

Barrera, who played Sam Carpenter, departed the franchise in November after making her debut in the fifth film, 2022’s Scream, and starring in Scream VI the following year.

Melissa Barrera (Getty Images for SCAD aTVfest 20)

The In the Heights actor was “quietly dropped” from the seventh film, reportedly due to her posts about the Israel-Hamas war being deemed antisemitic.

Soon after, it was announced that Ortega, who played Barrera’s younger sister Tara in Scream (2022) and Scream VI, would also not return for Scream 7 due to scheduling conflicts for the next season of the Netflix hit series Wednesday.

Then, in December, Landon revealed that he’d also left the project, telling social media followers that it had been “a dream job that turned into a nightmare”.

Scream 7 will be directed by the franchise’s creator and writer, Kevin Williamson.