Summary
Scream 7went through a massive overhaul afterMelissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega’s exits, followed by Christopher Landon standing down as the upcoming sequel’s director. Neve Campbell subsequently signed on to return as Sidney Prescott, and Kevin Williamson was also announced asScream 7’s new director.This has led to speculation over Mason Gooding’s potential involvement inScream 7, with the Core Four now broken up.
It was believed that Gooding wouldn’t return, as Chad Meeks-Martin, in order tosupport Barrera after herScream 7firingby Spyglass Media. However,Gooding has recently been cast in Spyglass Media’s new horror movie,Heart Eyes, which raises the possibility that he may still return inScream 7, as he continues his working relationship with Spyglass.
Mason Gooding, Olivia Holt, Devon Sawa and Jordana Brewster
Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon and Michael Kennedy
Directed By
Josh Ruben
The upcoming horror movie,Heart Eyes, will see Mason Gooding re-unite with Spyglass Media, after collaborating with them onScream (2022)andScream 6. Gooding will be joined by Olivia Holt, and the plot sees two co-workers being mistaken for a couple by a psychotic murderer in San Francisco on Valentine’s Day. The pair must work together to survive on the most romantic day of the year. The romantic horror comedy will be directed by Josh Ruben (Werewolves Within, Scare Me), andChristopher Landon, who was originally set to directScream 7, has co-written the script with Phillip Murphy and Michael Kennedy.
Josh Ruben released a statementafter being hired to directHeart Eyes:
My love of horror is rivaled only by my love of romantic comedies. I’m excited as hell to mount my most challenging genre bender to date: a brutal slasher in a nostalgic rom-com universe.
Jordan Brewster and Devon Sawa had previously been announced as cast members inHeart Eyes, with both stars no strangers to the horror genre, with Brewster starring inThe Faculty, which was written byScream 7director,Kevin Williamson, and Sawa played the lead in the originalFinal Destinationin 2000.
Kevin Williamson
Melissa Barrera has made it known she will not work with Spyglass Media again, after she was firedby them over her Pro-Palestine Instagram posts. However, despite standing in support of Barrera,it was unclear what the stance of her fellow Core Four co-stars was in terms of working with Spyglass in the future. This question was partially answered when Mason Gooding signed on to star in Spyglass' upcoming horror comedy,Heart Eyes.
Gooding’s willingness to work with Spyglass again has raised the question of whether he’d also be open to working with them onScream 7, reprising the role of Chad Meeks-Martin. Fans had raised doubts overChad and Mindy’s return without the Carpenter sistersinScream 7, with the legendary Core Four establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with inScream 6.
Gooding’s casting in Spyglass’Heart Eyesdoesn’t mean he will return forScream 7, but it does make it possible.It’s very noble to stand in solidarity with a co-star, like Gooding and the rest of the Core Four cast have done with Barrera, but it isn’t worth sabotaging one’s career over it. Chad was a popular character inScream (2022)andScream 6, and it was widely considered that he would return inScream 7, before the shocking events that led to Barrera’s sacking, and Ortega’s exit.
If the rights to the Scream IP were to change in the future, the ideal scenario would see the Core Four all returnto complete the story that was set up with their characters. But as things stand, Spyglass are in control of the franchise, and are moving forward with a Sidney Prescott focusedScream 7. Chad never had much involvement with Sidney inScream (2022)orScream 6, so it poses the question: Does Chad fit into the story ofScream 7without his Core Four cohorts?
There is a chance thata legacy character could feature in the opening kill sceneinScream 7, meaning Chad Meeks-Martin might be one of the options to be killed off. However,Mason Gooding is unlikely to want to sign on forScream 7if his role is to be dispatched early on.Scream 7looks set tomove on without the Core Four, so that could be the reason Gooding is not included in the cast, meaning his no show won’t be down to the actor’s unwillingness to work with Spyglass.
