With Scream 7 bringing back multiple characters thought to be long gone, Sarah Michelle Gellar is making it clear—she wants a seat at the table.
The 47-year-old actress took to Instagram Stories on Saturday, February 1, to share a fan post advocating for the return of her character, Helen Shivers, in the upcoming slasher sequel.
Gellar tagged director Kevin Williamson and producer William Sherak in the post, adding, “I mean, why not?!? You are bringing everyone else back.”
The Scream Legacy and Gellar’s History with the Franchise
The Scream franchise launched in 1996, quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon.
The original trilogy revolved around Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette, solidifying their places in horror history. (Gellar, meanwhile, met a grisly end in Scream 2.)
Campbell, 51, Cox, 60, and Arquette, 53, reprised their roles in Scream 4 and Scream 5, which introduced a new generation of stars, including Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown.
However, by Scream 6, Arquette’s Dewey had been killed off, and Campbell opted not to return after rejecting the studio’s salary offer.
In June 2022, Campbell addressed her departure, stating, “Sadly, I won’t be making the next Scream film. As a woman, I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream.
I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise. It’s been a very difficult decision to move on.
To all my Scream fans, I love you. You’ve always been so incredibly supportive of me. I’m forever grateful to you and to what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years.”
Behind-the-Scenes Shake-Ups in Scream 7
In December 2023, news broke that Barrera had been fired from Scream 7 following controversy over her comments regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict.
However, Spyglass Media Group, the company behind the latest Scream films, denied that Barrera’s pro-Palestine stance was the reason for her exit.
Sarah Michelle Gellar (Photo: Frank Ockenfels)Barrera, 34, later addressed the situation on Instagram Stories in January 2024. “First and foremost, I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people,” she wrote, explaining her decision to speak out.
“As a Latina, a proud Mexicana, I feel the responsibility of having a platform that allows me the privilege of being heard, and therefore I have tried to use it to raise awareness about issues I care about and to lend my voice to those in need.
Every person on this earth—regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status—deserves equal human rights, dignity, and, of course, freedom.”
Jenna Ortega also opted not to return as Tara Carpenter, citing scheduling conflicts with season 2 of Netflix’s Wednesday. In another twist, director Christopher Landon—who was originally set to take over for Scream 5 and Scream 6 directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett—also exited the project.
With Landon out, Scream creator Kevin Williamson, 59, stepped in to direct. Williamson, who wrote Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), and Scream 4 (2011), is now leading the franchise forward. Meanwhile, Campbell has officially confirmed her return.
New and Returning Faces in Scream 7
The upcoming film has announced several new cast members, including Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann, Mckenna Grace, Sam Rechner, Anna Camp, and Mark Consuelos.
However, the biggest surprise is the return of Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher, one of the original Ghostface killers, who supposedly died in the first Scream movie. (Scream 5 previously revived Skeet Ulrich’s Billy Loomis as a hallucination seen by Barrera’s character, Sam.)
Additionally, Scott Foley has joined the cast, though his role remains unclear. Speculation is swirling about whether he will reprise his Scream 3 character, Roman Bridger—the supposed mastermind behind the entire Ghostface legacy—who was believed to have been killed off.
With so many twists, turns, and unexpected resurrections, Gellar’s request to return doesn’t seem so far-fetched after all.