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'Scream 7' rules the box office with record opening weekend

You can't keep Ghostface down.

"Scream 7" has sliced its way to No. 1 at the domestic box office, scoring the biggest opening weekend in the horror franchise's 30-year history.

The latest slasher sequel starringNeve Campbelldebuted with $64.1 million in North American theaters, according to estimates from Comscore released on Sunday. This surpasses the franchise's previous biggest opening weekend of $44.4 million for 2023's "Scream VI." It's also the biggest opening weekend of 2026 so far, topping the$32.8 million launch of "Wuthering Heights."

Prior to "Scream VI," the fifth "Scream" movie, which was the series' first new entry in over a decade, opened to $30 million in January 2022 amid continued COVID-19 concerns. 2011's "Scream 4," the series' lowest-grossing installment, started with $18.7 million in 2011.

Campbell stars as five-time Ghostface survivor Sidney Prescott in "Scream 7," in which a mysterious new killer emerges to target her and her teenage daughter, played by series newcomerIsabel May. Courteney Cox, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding and Joel McHale also star.

Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott in "Scream 7."

The success of "Scream 7" is a win for Paramount after the sequel's production was plagued by controversy, starting with thefiring of Melissa Barrera.

'Scream 7'star Isabel May reveals Neve Campbell's touching 'maternal act'

In 2023, Barrera, who played lead character Sam Carpenter in the most recent two "Scream" films, was removed from "Scream 7" over her social media posts about the Israel-Hamas war, which production company Spyglass alleged constituted hate speech. Barrera, who has been supportive of Palestine and critical of Israel, said at the time that she condemns "hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people."

On Wednesday, Feb. 25,pro-Palestine protesters demonstratedoutside the "Scream 7" Los Angeles premiere. Barrera seemed to address the demonstrations by writing on Instagram, "I see you."

Jenna Ortega, who played the sister of Barrera's character in the previous two "Scream" movies, also declined to return for "Scream 7." Shelater tied her decisionto Barrera's firing and the exit of directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who helmed both of the "Scream" movies she starred in. "It had nothing to do with pay or scheduling," Ortegatold The Cut. "The Melissa [Barrera] stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart."

Director Christopher Landon also announced his exit from "Scream 7" in 2023, describing the project as a "dream job that turned into a nightmare." He has said the decision to fire Barrera was out of his hands but that it caused him toreceive death threats.

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After these exits, "Scream 7" hit the reset button and turned focus back to Campbell. Her character, Sidney Prescott, was the protagonist of the first four "Scream" movies from 1996 to 2011. But Sidney transitioned into a supporting role in the fifth installment, released in 2022, as Barrera's Sam Carpenter took center stage as the new lead. Sidney was then absent entirely from 2023's "Scream VI" afterCampbell declined to return due to a pay dispute.

The "Scream 7" cast showed out for the global premiere at Paramount Pictures Studios on Feb. 25, 2026, in Los Angeles.

See the stars on the black carpet, beginning here, from left, with Joel McHale, Skeet Ulrich, Celeste O'Connor, Ethan Embry, Jimmy Tatro, Mckenna Grace, Scott Foley, Anna Camp, Matthew Lillard, Sam Rechner, Timothy Simons, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Isabel May, Victor Turpin, Neve Campbell, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding.