Summary
The arrival of Scream 7 in theaters this Friday is bringing renewed attention to one of the most influential horror franchises of the last three decades. Since its 1996 debut, Scream has done more than keep the slasher genre alive. It reshaped it, turning familiar horror rules into part of the story and making Ghostface one of the most enduring figures in pop culture.
With more than $900 million at the global box office, the franchise has built a rare legacy: it speaks both to longtime horror fans and to younger audiences discovering the series through streaming, social media and legacy sequels. Now, with Neve Campbell returning as Sidney Prescott and Kevin Williamson directing the new chapter, Scream 7 arrives with the weight of nostalgia and the pressure of keeping the saga relevant once again.
For anyone planning to head into opening weekend fully caught up, the best route is still the simplest one: watch the films in release order. That path preserves the evolution of Sidney, Gale and Dewey, while also showing how the franchise reinvented itself across different eras of horror.
Scream (1996)
This is where everything begins. Directed by Wes Craven, the original Scream introduced Woodsboro, Ghostface and the now-iconic final girl Sidney Prescott. What made the film stand out was not only the suspense, but the way it openly played with horror clichés while still delivering genuine tension and violence.
Sidney, played by Neve Campbell, becomes the target of a masked killer one year after her mother’s murder. Around her are Dewey Riley, played by David Arquette, and Gale Weathers, played by Courteney Cox, two characters who would become just as important to the identity of the series as Ghostface himself.
The 1996 film remains essential because it is not simply the beginning of the story. It is the blueprint for everything the franchise would later become.
Where to watch: Paramount+, fuboTV, YouTube TV, and Kanopy.
Scream 2 (1997)
Released just one year later, Scream 2 proved the success of the first movie was no accident. Sidney is now in college, trying to rebuild her life after the Woodsboro killings, but a new Ghostface quickly shatters any hope of normalcy.
The sequel expands the franchise’s themes, moving beyond slasher mechanics and digging deeper into fame, trauma and media obsession. It is also one of the films that helped establish Scream as a franchise capable of discussing its own existence without losing momentum as a horror story.
Once again, Neve Campbell leads the film as Sidney Prescott, with David Arquette returning as Dewey Riley and Courteney Cox returning as Gale Weathers.
Where to watch: Paramount+, fuboTV, YouTube TV, and Kanopy.
Scream 3 (2000)
By the time Scream 3 arrived, the franchise had moved from Woodsboro and college campuses into Hollywood itself. The story unfolds during the production of Stab 3, the fictional movie based on the Woodsboro murders, when another wave of killings begins.
This entry leans harder into the franchise’s relationship with performance, image and media construction. It also closes the original trilogy by revealing hidden connections to Sidney’s past and bringing several long-running emotional threads to a head.
Neve Campbell again stars as Sidney Prescott, alongside David Arquette as Dewey Riley and Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers. The Hollywood setting gives the film a different energy, but the emotional center still belongs to Sidney.
Where to watch: Paramount+, fuboTV, and Kanopy.
Scream 4 (2011)
More than a decade after the previous film, Scream 4 brought the series into a very different cultural landscape. Social media, online identity and viral attention had changed how people experienced violence, fame and performance, and the film uses that shift to modernize the franchise.
Sidney returns to Woodsboro and once again finds herself surrounded by a new cycle of murders. The film balances familiar faces with a younger cast, making it an important bridge between the original trilogy and the later relaunch era.
Neve Campbell returns as Sidney Prescott, Courteney Cox returns as Gale Weathers, and David Arquette returns as Dewey Riley. The film also introduces a new generation without pretending the past no longer matters.
Where to watch: Paramount+, fuboTV, Prime Video with ads, MovieSphere+, and VIX.
A new generation takes over
Scream (2022)
The 2022 film functions as both a sequel and a relaunch. Set once again in Woodsboro, it introduces a younger core cast while bringing legacy characters back into the violence. The story plays directly with the idea of the “requel,” a movie that continues an old franchise while attempting to reboot it for a new audience.
This chapter is especially important before Scream 7 because it resets the franchise’s direction and re-establishes the stakes for modern viewers. It also serves as a turning point in how the saga balances old icons with new survivors.
The film features Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers, and David Arquette as Dewey Riley, while introducing new central characters played by Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Dylan Minnette and Jack Quaid.
Where to watch: Paramount+ and Pluto TV.
Scream VI (2023)
If the 2022 film reopened the franchise, Scream VI proved it could still expand. This time, the story leaves Woodsboro behind and heads to New York City, where the survivors try to rebuild their lives only to discover that Ghostface is never far behind.
The larger setting changes the scale of the horror. The franchise feels bigger, more aggressive and less contained, while still preserving its trademark combination of self-awareness and brutality. For viewers heading into Scream 7, this film works as the clearest immediate lead-in to the new chapter.
Courteney Cox returns as Gale Weathers, while the newer generation led by Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega takes on the central conflict. The New York backdrop gives the franchise one of its sharpest visual and tonal updates.
Where to watch: Paramount+ and Pluto TV.
Why Scream 7 matters
The biggest reason Scream 7 feels important is that Sidney Prescott is back at the center of the story. That immediately changes the emotional weight of the film. Sidney has never been just another final girl. She is the character through whom the franchise built its identity, survived multiple reinventions and kept its emotional continuity.
With Neve Campbell returning and Kevin Williamson directing, the new movie arrives as both a continuation and a statement. It suggests the franchise is not just revisiting its legacy for nostalgia’s sake, but trying to reconnect with the character and tone that made it endure in the first place.
For longtime fans, that is reason enough to revisit every previous chapter. For newer viewers, it is the right moment to see how Scream evolved from a genre disruptor into one of the few horror franchises that still knows how to update itself without erasing what came before.
If there is only time for a short rewatch
For viewers who cannot make it through all six previous films before opening night, the most efficient three-film route is:
- Scream (1996)
- Scream (2022)
- Scream VI (2023)
That lineup gives the original foundation, the modern relaunch and the most direct lead-in to Scream 7. But the full release-order watch remains the strongest way to experience the story as it was built.
Correction note: Streaming availability may change without prior notice. If any platform updates its catalog, this guide should be revised accordingly.
