Release OrderRecommended
0 / 7 watchedThe order the films released, which matches the story. One list covers both.
- 1 Scream Wes Craven's original; introduces Sidney, Gale, Dewey and Ghostface.
- 2 Scream 2 College setting in Ohio; a copycat killer stalks the Stab press tour.
- 3 Scream 3 Hollywood setting; the Stab 3 production becomes a crime scene.
- 4 Scream 4 Ten years later; the Stab reboot draws Ghostface back to Woodsboro.
- 5 Scream Fifth film, titled Scream. Introduces Sam and Tara Carpenter.
- 6 Scream VI New York setting; Campbell sat this one out over a pay dispute.
- 7 Scream 7 Latest released film. Campbell returns as the lead; Williamson directs; released February 27, 2026.
About Scream
Scream ran six films from 1996 to 2023, following Sidney Prescott through successive Ghostface killers in Woodsboro and beyond. Scream 7 opened February 27, 2026, with franchise creator Kevin Williamson directing and Neve Campbell back as the lead after sitting out Scream VI over pay.
The series is strictly linear, so one list covers release and story order. The fifth film (2022) is titled Scream, a naming trap worth knowing before you queue it up. Melissa Barrera's 2023 firing and Jenna Ortega's exit scrapped the planned Carpenter-sisters arc, and the seventh film rebuilt around Sidney, her husband Mark and daughter Tatum.
Good to know
Scream 7 brings back Courteney Cox's Gale Weathers, the only actor in every entry besides Ghostface's voice, Roger L. Jackson. Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley return as past killers in still-unexplained appearances, and David Arquette's Dewey is back despite dying in the 2022 film. Early reception for Scream 7 was mixed. No eighth film has been announced as of this check.
