“Scream” is still making a killing.
“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.
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.
Reviews were poor (34% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and audience scores (a “B-” CinemaScore) also weren’t great.
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” 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.”
The only new release to make a dent in theaters was the concert film “Twenty One Pilots: More Than We Ever Imagined.” Distributed by Trafalgar Releasing, it opened with $3.7 million in 836 theaters. Another concert film also continues to perform well: “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert.” The Baz Luhrmann “Elvis” addendum added 1,615 theaters after a strong debut last week. The Neon release collected $3.5 million, pushing its two-week gross to $7.8 million.
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. “Scream 7,” $64.1 million.
2. “GOAT,” $12 million.
3. “Wuthering Heights,” $7 million.
4. “Twenty One Pilots: More Than We Ever Imagined,” $3.7 million.
5. “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert,” $3.5 million.
6. “Crime 101,” $3.4 million.
7. “I Can Only Imagine 2,” $3.1 million.
8. “Send Help,” $2.8 million.
9. “How to Make a Killing,” $1.6 million.
10. “Zootopia 2,” $1.4 million.
