Matthew Lillard Hints Scream 7 Is a Crowd-Pleaser After Test Screenings
Test screenings just handed Scream 7 a big boost, according to Matthew Lillard, igniting early buzz for the Kevin Williamson-directed sequel. Slashing into U.S. theaters in February 2026, it stars Lillard, Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers, Isabel May as Tatum Evans, Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin, and Mason Gooding.
Good news for Ghostface fans: Matthew Lillard says early screenings of Scream 7 are going over extremely well. If you needed a reason to keep the hype alive until 2026, he just handed you one.
The early read
Lillard told ComingSoon that the movie has been playing to strong reactions in test screenings.
"The movie is testing through the roof... I think fans are going to lose their minds."
His excitement is tied to who's steering the ship this time: Kevin Williamson is directing, with Neve Campbell back as Sidney Prescott. Lillard also made a point to shout out the previous era, saying he digs the Radio Silence guys and thought Melissa Barrera was fantastic, but he sounds genuinely curious about where this new version goes with Williamson at the wheel.
How Lillard ended up back in Woodsboro (well, figuratively)
He remembers the moment it clicked into place: he was in a park when Kevin Williamson called. A little twist here — they had literally seen each other at a party at Mike Flanagan's house three weeks earlier, where Williamson mentioned he was going to direct Scream 7 but did not tip his hand about Lillard. On the call, Williamson finally asked if he wanted to come back and play. Lillard joked he could have said something at the party, but the short version is: the invite came, he said yes, and now he is back in the mix.
Cast roll call
- Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott
- Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers
- Matthew Lillard
- Isabel May as Tatum Evans
- Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin
- Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin
- Joel McHale as Mark Evans
- ...and more
The setup
Official premise, in plain English: a new Ghostface pops up in the quiet town where Sidney built a new life, and the killer targets her daughter — played by Isabel May. That forces Sidney to dig back into the trauma she has been trying to leave behind and take one last run at ending the carnage for good.
One notable wrinkle for longtime fans: Isabel May is credited as Tatum Evans, and Joel McHale is playing Mark Evans. The surname overlap lines up with the synopsis saying May is Sidney's daughter, and the first name Tatum is going to raise some eyebrows. We will see how that plays in the movie.
Release date and studio
Scream 7 is directed by Kevin Williamson and comes from Paramount Pictures. It opens in US theaters on February 27, 2026.