After nearly three decades, seven films, an anthology TV series, and more than a few off-screen controversies, the Scream franchise appears to be bracing for its biggest shift yet. According to noted Hollywood scooper Daniel Richtman, the long-running horror saga is finally moving on from its original final girl, Sidney Prescott, played by Neve Campbell.
The report suggests that while Campbell will return in Scream 7, the franchise already has its sights set on who will carry the storied slasher series' legacy forward, signaling a generational handoff that has been years in the making.
Who Will Replace Neve Campbell In the Scream Franchise?
Richtman's report arrives as Paramount Pictures gears up to release Scream 7 on February 27, 2026. The upcoming sequel marks Campbell's official return after sitting out 2023's Scream VI. It reunites her with franchise creator Kevin Williamson, who is back as writer and director.
Campbell previously opted out of Scream VI due to a headline-making pay dispute, making it the only Scream film in which Sidney Prescott does not appear. Despite the film's cast of young rising stars, Campbell's absence was felt immediately, especially after the franchise had established her character as its emotional backbone.
When audiences last saw Sidney in Scream (2022), she was a 42-year-old mother of three, married and seemingly removed from the chaos of Woodsboro, until Ghostface returned and murdered longtime franchise staple Dewey Riley (David Arquette).
For a moment, it seemed Scream had already chosen its successor. In The Heights actress Melissa Barrera headlined both Scream (2022) and Scream VI, positioning her character Sam Carpenter as the franchise's new central star. That plan unraveled when Barrera was axed from the slasher franchise after publicly supporting Palestine and referring to Israel's actions in Gaza as "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing."
Not long after, co-star Jenna Ortega exited Scream 7 as well, citing creative uncertainty following the shake-up while speaking with The Cut in April 2025:
"The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart. If 'Scream 7' wasn't going to be with that team of directors and those people I fell in love with, then it didn't seem like the right move for me in my career at the time."
With both modern A-list leads gone, Richtman reports that the franchise's new heir apparent will be Isabel May, best known for starring in the Yellowstone prequel series 1883. May is set to play Tatum Evans, the daughter of Sidney Prescott and Mark Evans (Joel McHale), in Scream 7. If Richtman's report is accurate, her role will expand to future titles, anchoring Scream's next era around Sidney's legacy rather than replacing it outright.
What's Next For The Scream Movies?
If Sidney Prescott's daughter becomes the franchise's new lead after Scream 7, it could be the most innovative and convenient evolution the series could make. Although Sidney has been the face of the Scream universe for nearly thirty years, long-running franchises must often grapple with the age-old dilemma of how to honor their past while looking to the future.
While unconfirmed Scream 7 rumors share details about the latest chapter of Sidney's story, future stories centered on her daughter could open the door for the franchise to explore inherited fear, generational trauma, and violence, as well as the burden of legacy. It also gives the franchise room to let Sidney enjoy a well-deserved break, or at the very least, move to the sidelines as her progeny steps to the forefront.
Passing the torch from the slasher genre's most iconic final girl to her daughter feels like the most natural move possible. Whether audiences are ready to let Sidney go is another question, but if this report proves true, the Scream franchise seems prepared to find out.
