Paramount and Spyglass‘ Scream 7 has no intention of slowing its slay of the box office, with the latest installment in the 30-year old franchise bound for $60M+ worldwide start. That would rank as the series’ second-best opening following 2023’s Scream VI, starring Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, which posted the best domestic opening ever at $44.4M and global at $66.4M in 50 territories. Scream 7 is the sole big wide entry on marquees this weekend, playing 3,500 theaters in U.S./Canada and 52 offshore markets.
Rivals have been going wild that Scream 7 could overperform its stateside $40M outlook, but forecasts have been wonky: Many were seeing a $50M opening for Wuthering Heights, and it was not, with a 4-day of $37.5M.
The sell with 7 is that after Scream VI took a rare detour for Manhattan, Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott is back in Pine Grove, Indiana, where Ghostface broke out. Her daughter is the target. Also, Scream scribe Kevin Williamson finally is in the director’s chair for the seventhquel, which is a big deal for fans. Williamson co-wrote the script with Scream, Scream VI and Ready or Not screenwriter Guy Busick.
Scream 7‘s $45M net production cost was co-financed by Paramount and Spyglass. The six Scream movies have grossed $908.5M, with the 1996 original Scream the highest-grossing chapter with $173M WW (unadjusted for inflation and currency swings).
A special fan event in U.S./Canada will kick off previews at 6 p.m. on Thursday, followed by broader previews at 6:30 p.m. Scream 7 isn’t in 3D like the last film but will be presented in Imax and ScreenX auditoriums for the first time. It’s also booked in D-Box and premium large-format screens.
The anticipated international debut of $20M will be driven by major markets such as Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Seven markets including Korea will release later. Scream movies have seen black, not red, in Europe (France, UK, Germany were the top performing territories there last time) and Latin American territories, though this weekend comes with an asterisk and that’s with Mexico. The last movie did unadjusted for inflation a $2.4M opening and $5.3M take south of the border. However, there’s great concern whether moviegoing will be curbed in Mexico this weekend given the chaotic fallout from the killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel head Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, and the gang riots which have seen reported torched buses and businesses, as well as clashes with security forces. France benefits from have a 12 rating instead of a 16 for the U.S. R-rated horror film; that country Scream VI‘s highest grossing territory outside North America with a near $10M (again, as reported).
Stateside there’s an expected turnout from multicultural audiences and males and females 17-34. Scream VI posted the best previews in U.S./Canada of the franchise with $5.7M and a first Friday of $19.2M. Saturday held pretty good -20% against that bulked up day with $15.3M, horror films notorious for being frontloaded.