‘Scream 7’ May Feature AI Ghostface as Series Continues With Meta Trend

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Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) in 'Scream 2022'

Credit: Paramount Pictures / Spyglass Media Group / Radio Silence Productions

The Scream films are known for many things: creepy phone calls, movie references, and, of course, elaborate kills. But two of their most vital signature ingredients are their meta nature and the whodunnit plot structure. Now, Scream 7 may be about to take things to a whole new level where cultural trends and surprise twists are concerned.

Last week, Deadline announced that Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley are returning in the upcoming seventh installment in the hugely popular slasher franchise, despite their characters Stu Macher and Roman Bridger (both Ghostface killers) having been killed off in Scream (1996) and Scream 3 (2000), respectively.

Stu Macher and Billy Loomis in Scream
Credit: Dimension Films

While this news comes as a huge surprise to Scream fans, it’s possible that Lillard and Foley’s reprisals are nothing more than cameos that mirror original Ghostface killer Billy Loomis’ appearances in Scream (2022) and Scream VI (2023), with the original actor Skeet Ulrich being “de-aged” for the purpose of his daughter Sam Carpenter’s psycho-induced hallucinations.

Speaking of Sam Carpenter, it’s hardly surprising that Scream 7 keeps making headlines considering the actress, Melissa Barrera, who played the so-named final girl in the last two Scream films was fired from the upcoming sequel for sharing divisive social media posts regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict. And let’s not forget that Wednesday megastar Jenna Ortega exited shortly after.

Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega hiding in a convenience store in 'Scream VI'
Credit: Paramount Pictures / Radio Silence Productions / Spyglass Media Group

Related: ‘Scream’: All 14 Ghostface Reveals Ranked From Worst to Best

The return of Neve Campbell as legacy final girl Sidney Prescott, original Scream writer Kevin Williamson jumping onboard as director, and now, the confirmed return of two completely dead Ghostface killers, Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard) and Roman Bridger (Scott Foley).

Does this reek of desperation, or does Scream 7 have something pretty clever up its sleeve? Or should we say “intelligent”? As in, artificial intelligence…

Of course, there could be a number of reasons why these two actors are back in the fold.

As we’ve already said, perhaps someone like Sidney is hallucinating or recalling past events, or maybe we’re getting some kind of flashback in which Billy, Stu, and Roman are working together to plot their reign of terror against our beloved final girl (Scream 3 revealed that Roman, Sidney’s brother, was the mastermind behind the original Woodsboro murders all along).

Either way, these scenes would involve de-aging these actors. Or maybe the de-aging will actually take place within the movie itself.

Roman Bridger (Scott Foley) and Jennifer Jolie (Parker Posey) in Scream 3
Credit: Dimension Films / Miramax

Related: Every Ghostface Killer In the ‘Scream’ Movies Ranked

Scream is no stranger to keeping up to date with modern trends by offering up an unrealistic amount of commentary on things like new movies, new horror subgenres like torture flicks or “elevated horror”, or even technology like the ever-evolving cell-phone.

Where the original Scream trilogy cleverly unpacked the tropes of slasher movies and sequels and trilogies in general, the newer films have relied more on real-world trends for their meta commentary.

The twist in Scream (2022) revolved around toxic fandom, and the more recent Scream VI (2023) leaned into our obsession with legacy characters. Now, Scream 7 could be about to tackle an increasingly popular trend: AI (artificial intelligence) and Deepfake technology.

What if the new Ghostface killer (although there’ll likely be more than one) is using AI/Deepfake to try to convince Sidney Prescott that past killers like Stu Macher and Roman Bridger aren’t dead?

It might sound a bit far-fetched but we know that Ghostface is hardly above using tech in order to terrorize their victims, whether it’s cell-phones, voice-changers, computers, or social media. Using AI would certainly be a pretty major topical punchline for the new film, and could allow for one of the biggest twists yet.

Ghostface in 'Scream VI'
Credit: Paramount Pictures / Radio Silence Productions / Spyglass Media Group

Scream 7 Cast and Release Date

Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley join Neve Campbell (Sidney Prescott), Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers), Mason Gooding (Chad Meeks), and Jasmin Savoy Brown (Mindy Meeks), alongside newcomers Isabel May, Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann, Mckenna Grace, Sam Rechner, Anna Camp, Joel McHale, and Mark Consuelos.

Scream 7 hits theaters on February 27, 2026.

Do you think AI will play heavily into Scream 7‘s surprise twist? Let us know in the comments below!

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