Summary
Final girl Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) was the compelling focal point of the first fourScreammovies, and I’m thrilled thatScream 7is bringing her back. I’m also glad about another big change: instead of a new storyline involving the Core Four characters, only two are returning.Scream (2022)introducedsmart sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega)along with twins Chad (Mason Gooding) and Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown).The horror sequel has gone through many changessince it was first announced, and while there’s a huge cast,only Gooding and Savoy Brown are reprising their roles.
Scream 7will have tostrike the correct balance between old and new cast membersin order to be successful, and that means giving the Meeks-Martin twins weighty storylines. But while some fans wanted to see the Carpenter sisters back in action and fighting Ghostface again, I don’t think the Core Four was a good idea.
Scream 7 Is Right To Move Away From The Core Four
There are a lot of reasons to get excited aboutScream 7, fromthe potential for a fresh take on Ghostfaceto the chance to fully dive into Sidney Prescott’s grown-up life. I’m also glad that the Core Four isn’t coming back becauseI don’t think Sam, Tara, Chad, or Mindy were given proper storylines in the fifth and sixthScreammovies.
While I understand thatScream (2022)andScream 6wanted to lean into nostalgia by focusing onSam’s complicated relationship with her father Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), this was a corny idea. It wasn’t fun to watch Sam have visions of her dad’s ghost, and it was a shame to see this awkward narrative device repeated in the sixth movie. I would also argue thatTara was sidelined inScream (2022)and only given a little bit more of a meaty plotline inScream 6.When compared toOrtega’s notable TV character Wednesday Addams, Tara is just as intelligent, strong, and confident. However, Tara spends the fifth movie in the hospital after her Ghostface attack in the opening scene. Then, in the next film, her arc is all about her older sister learning to let go of treating her like a child. I wanted to see Tara do a lot more.
Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin could have had more engaging storylines in theseScreammovies, too.Mindy plays the role that her charming film buff uncle Randy Meeks-Martin (Jamie Kennedy) once didand shares her knowledge of the horror genre. That works, but she needs more to do inScream 7. As for Chad, his plotlines revolve around his love life as he has a girlfriend, Liv McKenzie (Sonia Ammar), in the fifth movie, and has chemistry with Tara in the sixth one. I would definitely like toknow more about Mindy and Chad and to find out what it’s been like to live in Randy’s shadow.
It makes sense that the slasher franchise wanted to introduce new characters to take over from Sidney, who played a smaller role inScream (2022)and didn’t come back forScream 6. However, as a huge Sidney fan, I’d argue that the Carpenter and Meeks-Martin siblings didn’t have the same character development as the beloved final girl.I’m gladScream 7is about Sidney’s family lifeinstead of bringing back every Core Four member. The truth is thatGhostface’s motive will always come back to Sidney, and it doesn’t make sense to focus on other characters more.
Now that Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin are the only two Core Four members coming back forScream 7, I’m excited to see more of them. Maybethe siblings have a podcast about true crime, or they both work in journalism or the movie/TV industry. Perhaps they started their own business and are having fun running it together whena familiar character, whether Sidney Prescott or Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), asks them to help fight Ghostface.
I think that Chad and Mindy’s family background makes them a more compelling part of theScreamfranchise than some of the other newer characters. I was excited about seeing his niece and nephew inScream (2022). Since Chad and Mindy are related to someone who loved analyzing the horror genre, it’s interesting to watch them take on Ghostface.
Scream 7will arrive in movie theaters on February 27th, 2026, and I can’t wait to see where Chad and Mindy are now.
