The ever-popular Scream franchise returns to theaters this week, but at least from a critical perspective, there isn’t much reason to celebrate. After an extremely troubled development cycle that saw the departure of stars Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, Scream 7 has earned the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score in series history (35% as of this writing). Despite the largely negative reception, the sequel is expected to be a sizable box office hit. Early projections suggested Scream 7 would break the franchise’s all-time opening weekend record, and after opening night, it’s well on its way to accomplishing that feat.
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According to The Wrap, Scream 7 earned around $7.8 million domestically from preview screenings that took place on Thursday, February 26th. That’s the biggest haul from preview screenings in Scream franchise history, easily beating the $5.7 million Scream VI earned in 2023.
Will Scream 7 Set More Franchise Box Office Records?
Heading into the weekend, Scream 7 box office projections had the film pegged for a debut between $45-50 million domestically, which would be not just the biggest opening for the franchise, but also the biggest opening at the box office this year so far. However, it’s worth mentioning that those estimates came out before the review embargo lifted, so it remains to be seen how the word of mouth impacts commercial performance. Scream 7 was likely always in good shape for its preview screenings, as those are typically driven by die-hard fans excited to see the film as soon as possible. Something as big as a new Scream film was going to be big right out of the gate regardless of what the reviews said.
What will be more interesting to see is how Scream 7 holds as the weekend goes on. Odds are, it will post a strong Friday, but the Saturday and Sunday grosses could depend on how audiences respond to the film. If most viewers are in agreement with critics and bad word of mouth continues to spread, it potentially could limit the crossover appeal of the horror sequel. Movies break box office records when their reach goes beyond their target demographic and they draw in casual audiences for an extra boost. People who are on the fence about seeing Scream 7 on the big screen could look at the reviews and decide to wait for streaming.
One thing working in Scream 7‘s favor is the lack of competition at the box office. Last weekend, the No. 1 film was the animated sports movie GOAT with $16.9 million. After Wuthering Heights saw a major drop-off after a strong opening, there isn’t much of note currently playing, and Sam Raimi’s Send Help has already done a majority of its damage (meaning there’s a void for horror fans). Scream 7 is arriving at just the right time, as it will largely have the box office to itself this weekend. Because the IP is so recognizable, general audiences might still be inclined to check it out because it’s the highest-profile title on the market.
Scream 7 could very well break the franchise’s opening weekend record, but it might be harder for it to become one of the series’ highest-grossing entries overall. If it’s going to challenge the original Scream ($173 million worldwide) or even Scream VI ($169 million), it will need to have strong legs at the box office. Since the word of mouth is showing no signs of improvement, odds are Scream 7 will suffer a sizable drop after its debut, especially with new arrivals like Hoppers and The Bride! on the way. Fortunately, Scream 7‘s production budget is reportedly $45 million, so it doesn’t need to break the bank to turn a profit.
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Image Courtesy of Netflix
