‘Scream 7’ tops box office with franchise-best $64 million

LOS ANGELES – “Scream 7” opened with $64.1 million this weekend to lead all films in North America, according to industry estimates released Sunday.

Despite a torrent of bad reviews, director Kevin Williamson’s film achieved the best opening in the history of the slasher franchise, which began in 1996. It stars Matthew Lillard and series regulars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette.

The animated children’s movie “GOAT” grossed $12 million in its third weekend to take second place, Comscore reported.

“Wuthering Heights,” also in its third week, made $6.9 million Friday through Sunday.

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Margot Robbie in a scene from “Wuthering Heights.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Fourth place went to the concert documentary “Twenty One Pilots: More Than We Ever Imagined,” which opened with $3.7 million. It was followed by another concert documentary, “EPIC: Elvis Presley in Concert,” which took in $3.5 million in its second weekend.

Rounding out the top 10 releases were “Crime 101” ($3.4 million), “I Can Only Imagine 2” ($3.1 million), “Send Help” ($2.8 million), “How to Make a Killing” ($1.5 million) and “Zootopia 2” ($1.4 million).

Franchise-best $64.1 million

Thirty years after the original slasher movie opened in theaters, “Scream 7” debuted with a franchise-best $64.1 million.

The bigger-than-expected opening is a win for Paramount, which on Friday announced its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

In a so-far sluggish 2026 at the box office, “Scream 7” managed the best debut of the year, easily displacing last weekend’s champ, the Stephen Curry-produced animated film “GOAT,” from Sony Pictures.

“Scream 7,” which cost $45 million to make, got a boost from the return of Neve Campbell, as Sidney Prescott. The actor sat out 2023’s “Scream VI,” but was drawn back for the seventh film by a reported $7 million payday. Original cast members Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Matthew Lillard also co-star.

“Scream VI” had set a new high (not accounting for inflation) for the franchise with a $44.4 million launch. That film starred Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, along with series regulars. But in 2023, Barrera was dropped from the seventh film by the film’s production company, Spyglass Media Group, after making comments on the Israel-Hamas war that some deemed antisemitic. Ortega subsequently dropped out of the film.

Kevin Williamson, who wrote the 1996 original and many of the following chapters, stepped into direct, retooling the film around Campbell and company. In the film, Sidney and her 17-year-old daughter are haunted by Ghostface in the suburban community of Pine Grove.

Poor reviews

Reviews were poor (34% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and audience scores (a “B-” CinemaScore) also weren’t great.

But the overperformance of “Scream 7,” which added $33.1 million overseas, gave Paramount more to celebrate on a potentially historic weekend for the studio. On Friday, its parent company, Paramount Skydance, announced its intention to merge with Warner Bros. Discovery after Netflix dropped out of negotiations. The deal, which forms a Hollywood colossus and remakes the media landscape, awaits regulatory approval.

A new beginning

For Josh Goldstine, president of global marketing and distribution at Paramount, the launch of “Scream 7” signaled a new beginning for Paramount, which last year completed an $8 billion merger with David Ellison’s Skydance. Following that merger, Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, co-chairs, took the reigns of Paramount Pictures.

“This is the first time that the new Paramount team has gotten their arms around a movie, not necessarily from the production side but from the marketing and distribution side,” said Goldstine. “It’s really an exciting time for the new Paramount.”

Goldstine declined to address the merger with Warner Bros. But he attributed the success of “Scream 7” — the rare franchise to keep growing so many films in — to the studio’s commitment to exhibition. In opposing Netflix’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, Ellison trumpeted the studio’s dedication to theatrical, pledging a minimum 45-day theatrical window for films.

“It’s really about the passion for the theatrical marketplace that exists at Paramount right now and the desire that we wanted to show the culture and the world why we love, and what we can do, with theatrical movies,” Goldstine said of the “Scream 7” opening.

‘Scream 7’ trailer

“Scream 7” benefited significantly from IMAX screens and premium format screens, something no previous “Scream” movie had on opening. Shaun Barber, head of domestic distribution for Paramount, noted that 40% of the film’s business over the weekend was on premium format screens.

“The film’s success speaks to the strength of the brand and Ghostface’s staying power as an iconic villain,” said Barber. “When you put that on the biggest screens in the country, audiences are even more excited to watch it together.” (With CNS and AP reports)

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