Scream 7’s Original Ghostface Plan Before Melissa Barrera’s Firing Revealed (& It Sucks It Won’t Happen)

Following Melissa Barrera’s firing and Jenna Ortega’s departure from Scream 7, the upcoming sequel will be quite different than originally planned — and after learning what was supposed to happen with Ghostface, this is especially disappointing. Scream 7 is set to release on February 26, 2026, and the horror sequel will return Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) to the spotlight. This wasn’t always the intention; the film was originally meant to round out the trilogy that started with 2022’s Scream and followed sisters Sam (Barrera) and Tara (Ortega) Carpenter. Barrera’s firing from Scream 7 over comments about the Israeli-Gaza conflict, Ortega’s exit, and the shift from Christopher Landon to Kevin Williamson as director all forced a pivot.

This change in direction meant that Sam and Tara’s story wouldn’t be finished, and in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Skeet Ulrich revealed what would have become of their fight with Ghostface. Ulrich played Ghostface killer Billy Loomis in the original Scream, who was also revealed to be Sam Carpenter’s father in the recent sequels. Scream (2022) and Scream 6 saw Sam battling with this internally, while her father’s memory both haunted and guided her. Ulrich was originally supposed to return for Scream 7, but he confirmed that’s now off the table. The narrative has changed too much. However, he revealed that his connection to Sam would have taking a dark and fascinating turn had things gone according to plan.

“When we talked about coming back for 5, it was a three-picture arc for Billy Loomis to slowly turn his daughter into the killer,” Ulrich explained. “Obviously, those things didn’t pan out, given certain things that happened. But, no, I know nothing about the seventh.”

Sam Becoming Ghostface Would Have Taken Scream 7 in a Fresh New Direction

With many of the franchise’s films following a similar formula, Scream 7‘s original Ghostface plan would have been a refreshing change of pace. While Sidney’s adventures throughout the original series see different killers donning the Ghostface mask, they never corrupt the franchise’s final girl — and frankly, it’s hard to imagine they ever will. Part of Sidney’s charm is that she remains so steadfastly good, even after everything that’s happened to her. It’s no wonder this plan was scrapped upon the sequel’s pivot, but even if Scream 7 takes Sidney’s feud with Ghostface to new heights, the return to form is somewhat disappointing.

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Knowing this twist, the continuation of Sam’s story would have been more surprising, even if many theorized that Barrera’s character would eventually become the villain. Not only would this have led to a very different kind of Ghostface reveal, but it would have allowed the final film to explore the psyche of its killers in more depth. It also would have been interesting to see Tara’s response to her sister’s actions, something that could very well have led to more sequels. There are still plans for Scream 8, but now the franchise must reinvent itself yet again — and unless it comes up with another groundbreaking twist, it may struggle to.

Scream’s Upcoming Sequel Is Under More Pressure Than Ever to Rejuvenate the Franchise

Reinventing the Scream franchise once was already a tall order, and Scream 5 and 6 were pleasant surprises on that front. Not many franchises are able to successfully continue years later, regaining interest and balancing a fresh story with nostalgia. Doing this a second time may be difficult for Scream 7 to accomplish, especially with viewers divided on the change in direction and the events that led to it. With Paramount hoping to make more movies, there’s more pressure than ever for Sidney’s return to stick the landing. However, the writers will need to come up with something as thrilling as the heroine becoming Ghostface to make it happen — and whether that’s doable is questionable.

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