Get spooky earlier than it’s too late. On that notice, for those who’re planning a Halloween film marathon, there’s no higher technique to wrap up the Halloween season than diving into certainly one of horror’s most enduring and self-aware franchises: Scream. Since Wes Craven’s 1996 unique reinvented the slasher style, Scream has advanced right into a cinematic legacy spanning almost three a long time, six movies, and a seventh on the way in which. With Scream 7 formally set for launch on February 27, 2026, this weekend is the right time to revisit the saga with all of the knife twists, leap scares, and all.
Scream (1996)
The movie that began all of it. Directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, Scream launched audiences to Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), a highschool pupil whose quiet California city turns into the looking floor of Ghostface, a masked killer obsessive about horror film guidelines. That includes Courteney Cox as formidable reporter Gale Weathers, David Arquette as small-town cop Dewey Riley, and an unforgettable opening with Drew Barrymore, the primary Scream continues to be a masterclass in meta-horror.
Scream 2 (1997)
Only a yr later, Craven and Williamson reunited for a sequel that moved the fear to school. Sidney tries to rebuild her life as a brand new Ghostface copycat strikes amid the discharge of Stab, the film-within-a-film impressed by the unique Woodsboro murders. The sequel balanced sharp humor with stunning deaths and cemented Scream as greater than a one-hit marvel.
Scream 3 (2000)
The trilogy wrapped (for some time) with Scream 3, written by Ehren Kruger and set in Hollywood, the place a film concerning the murders turns into the scene of latest killings. It’s extra comedic and satirical than the earlier entries, poking enjoyable on the business itself whereas giving Sidney a way of closure, not less than briefly.
Scream 4 (2011)
Over a decade later, Craven returned for one final time behind the digicam. Scream 4 reunited the unique solid and launched a brand new technology of characters, together with Emma Roberts and Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed. The movie explored social media fame and the obsession with going viral lengthy earlier than “clout chasing” grew to become mainstream. Although its field workplace run was modest, it’s since been praised as a wise, underappreciated sequel.
Scream (2022)
After Craven’s passing, directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (of Prepared or Not fame) revived the franchise for a brand new period. The fifth installment handed the torch to a youthful solid, led by Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega as sisters Sam and Tara Carpenter, whereas honoring the legacy of Sidney, Gale, and Dewey. With sharp commentary on “requels” — movies that blend reboot and sequel — this chapter reignited the Ghostface legacy.
Scream VI (2023)
The motion moved from Woodsboro to New York Metropolis, the place the survivors of Scream 5 discover themselves stalked by a deadlier and extra unpredictable Ghostface. Neve Campbell stepped again for this installment, however Courteney Cox and Hayden Panettiere returned. The outcome was a slick, brutal, and crowd-pleasing thriller that earned important and business success, even taking dwelling Finest Film on the MTV Awards.
Scream 7 (2026)
The subsequent chapter is already in movement. Kevin Williamson, who wrote the unique, will make his directorial debut for the sequence, with Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette all returning. New solid members embody Isabel Could as Sidney’s daughter, plus Anna Camp, Mckenna Grace, and Celeste O’Connor. With manufacturing underway, Scream 7 guarantees to carry the saga full circle simply in time for its thirtieth anniversary.
So, for those who’re queuing up a Halloween watchlist, that is the right order: begin in Woodsboro in 1996 and slice your method by way of every sequel. By the point you attain Scream VI, you’ll be primed for the seventh chapter of Ghostface’s bloody reign the place nobody ever really hangs up the masks.
