Fan-Favorite Original ‘Scream’ Character Confirmed To Return In ‘Scream 7’

David Arquette is officially returning to the Scream franchise as the beloved Dewey Riley in Scream 7, despite his character’s brutal death in the 2022 film Scream. Arquette will be joining a star-studded ensemble that includes returning veterans Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown.

The new film will also introduce fresh faces to the Scream universe, with Mckenna Grace, Celeste O’Connor, Joel McHale, Asa Germann, Sam Rechner, Anna Camp, Mark Consuelos, and Ethan Embry all set to appear. In a significant move for the franchise, Kevin Williamson, the original Scream screenwriter, will make his directorial debut with Scream 7, slated to hit theaters on February 27, 2026. However, not all familiar faces will be back. Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, who led the franchise’s reboot, are not returning for the seventh installment. Barrera was dismissed from the project last year following controversial social media posts about Israel, while Ortega’s scheduling conflicts with Netflix’s Wednesday series made her unavailable.

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David Arquette’s Dewey was last seen being viciously stabbed by Ghostface, later revealed as Amber Freeman, played by Mikey Madison. However, in a franchise known for its twists and surprises, Dewey’s miraculous return isn’t the only one fans can expect. Scott Foley and Matthew Lillard are also set to revive their now-deceased characters in the highly anticipated sequel from Spyglass and Paramount Pictures.

Iconic Scream Characters Are Returning For Scream 7

Courteney Cox, who plays Gale Weathers, previously expressed her desire to see Dewey back in action, stating, “I understand the reasons they did it, but whoa! Talk about a missed character. Dewey is so loved by Scream fans. They have to figure it out.” It appears the filmmakers have done just that, much to the delight of fans. Mason Gooding also teased what fans can expect from the new film, telling Variety earlier this year, “It feels like an amplification of what’s come before, and there’s no better indication of that than Kevin Williamson, who wrote the original, coming back now to direct. I think that Ghostface is absolutely the most brutal he’s been. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there’s some stuff that they do to the human body that I feel like Kevin is breaking new ground with.”

On the other hand, Patrick Dempsey, who played Detective Mark Kincaid in previous films, also confirmed he will not be returning for Scream 7. Dempsey cited logistical challenges and the impact of the recent fires in his statement to Variety, saying, “It just didn’t work out and we were dealing with the fires and everything that was going on.”

Scream 7

Release Date

February 27, 2026

Director

Kevin Williamson

Writers

Kevin Williamson, Guy Busick, James Vanderbilt

Producers

Cathy Konrad, Gary Barber, Marianne Maddalena, Peter Oillataguerre, William Sherak, Chad Villella, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Ron Lynch

• 

  Neve Campbell

  Sidney Prescott

• 

  Courteney Cox

  Gale Weathers

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  Mason Gooding

  Chad Meeks-Martin

• 

  Jasmin Savoy Brown

  Mindy Meeks-Martin

Source: Variety