Summary
- Kill Sidney Prescott to bring shock value and avoid predictability in Scream 7.
- Sidney not needed as a leading lady in the franchise, as proven by Scream 6.
- Killing Sidney will ramp up emotional stakes, make Ghostface more threatening, and benefit the film.
Many horror fans are excited about the upcoming release of Scream 7 on February 27, 2026, as the slasher franchise returns. While there have been some issues in the development, a fantastic cast has been assembled that will blend legacy characters from the past with brand-new ones to help enhance Scream 7.
Neve Campbell will return to the franchise as the iconic final girl in the world of horror, Sidney Prescott. With Ghostface, she’s survived more scrapes than anyone, but Scream 7 could be the time to make a controversial decision regarding her future.
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It’s Time To Kill Sidney Prescott
Sidney is often seen as the ultimate final girl in the horror world because she can always survive no matter how close she dances to death. This has happened consistently across five of the six movies in the franchise, to the point that it has become a trope within the movies. Audiences expect to see Sidney in grave danger, only to miraculously find herself a way out at the final hurdle. It’s something that creates some incredible tension, but Scream 7 should look to flip those expectations.
After being chased around by Ghostface for so many years, Scream 7 should do the unthinkable and kill Sidney. Nobody would see this coming, as everyone automatically thinks that she’s going to survive, and bringing that type of shock value to the movie will be beneficial. There’s nothing worse about a horror movie than something becoming predictable, which can be the case if a returning hero always manages to escape.
Scream 6 Proved She’s Not Needed
Sidney has been one of the consistent figures in the Scream franchise from the start, leading to her creating some of the best moments within these movies. However, at this stage, the franchise no longer depends on her as the leading lady and the familiar face. Having the same iconic masked villain is ultimately what keeps bringing people back, and it’s easy enough to keep the stories linked to the past via what happens in the movie with the newer characters that are added.
That’s something that Scream 6 proved, as Sidney wasn’t part of that movie at all. It was seen as a huge deal at the time due to how involved she’d been in the franchise up until that point. It could have created something problematic if audiences weren’t receptive to it, but the movie still performed well at the box office and was seen as something fresh compared to what had come before. Scream 6 ultimately proved that Sidney isn’t needed as a character for Scream movies to continue being successful. Therefore, if the franchise wants to continue beyond the upcoming Scream 7, there isn’t a need to keep Sidney alive like there might have been in the past.
It Will Ramp Up The Stakes Of The Entire Film
Not only would killing Sidney be a surprise that audiences would be gripped by, but it is a decision that would ramp up the emotional stakes of the entire film. Sidney isn’t the only person looking to escape the clutches of Ghostface, but audiences will likely presume one of the other characters will die instead of her. If the movie kills Sidney off relatively early, the rest of the film will benefit because the stakes will instantly be taken to the next level.
Audiences will be hooked every single time Ghostface appears because they will know that anybody could be killed at any moment. That level of unpredictability is crucial to a good horror movie, and it would make the latest version of Ghostface instantly more threatening and interesting. The Scream franchise cannot continue protecting legacy characters because they were in the original. As Sidney gets older, her survival odds should naturally decrease, which should be reflected in this film, especially if the person under the mask is relatively young.
Scream 7 has an interestingly cast Joey McHale as Sidney’s new husband, which is a major change for her character, and that’s something that could potentially play into her death. Him being one of the villains in the movie would be a unique twist that would draw audiences in and make Sidney vulnerable, which could lead to her ultimate downfall. It would make sense as to why she’s been given a new husband for this movie and could help connect the dots.
The Scream franchise has been brilliant to this point, and Sidney is a crucial factor in that. She’s been the ultimate character for people to get behind and want to see survive, but that doesn’t mean it should always happen. After seven movies, it’s time for the franchise to pull off a big surprise that would capture the attention of viewers while also raising the emotions to help tell a story in Sccream 7 that people aren’t going to forget.
