‘Scream 7’ Director “Desperately” Tried to Get Another Ghostface Actor Cameo

WARNING: This story contains SPOILERS for Scream 7.

Scream 7 has made the slasher movie series more popular than ever, reaching a new high for the franchise with its box office success. This may have been partly due to the nostalgia that the new sequel offered, as many fans were stoked to see the return of Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher. Lillard’s return had been revealed ahead of the movie’s release and had a lot of people talking leading up to the premiere.

It was also announced previously that actor Scott Foley, who played Ghostface killer Roman Bridger in Scream 3, would also return. The sequel also featured the surprising return of Laurie Metcalf as Nancy Loomis, one of the killers from Scream 2. This was fun to see for the longtime Scream fans, but director Kevin Williamson was hoping to go even bigger.

In a recent interview with Happy Horror Time, Williamson shared how he tried very hard to get an appearance from Emma Roberts, who played Ghostface killer Jill in Scream 4. Unfortunately, the cameo was not meant to be, as the timing of the sequel’s production stood in the way. Williamson also said he would have liked to see Scream 2‘s other Ghostface actor, Timothy Olyphant, to return as well. Olyphant “couldn’t do it,” though Williamson was particularly disappointed about Roberts’ omissal, as that meant Scream 4 couldn’t be channeled.

🚨 SPOILER ALERT 🚨

🔊 KEVIN WILLIAMSON tells us which other Ghostface killers he wanted to bring back in #scream7 🔊 pic.twitter.com/k7mdoDChOG

— Happy Horror Time 🎃 (@HappyHorrorTime) March 16, 2026

“Since it was Sidney related, I felt like 1 through 4 needed to be represented,” Williamson said. “I desperately wanted Emma Roberts. Because that movie’s not represented. And I wanted her so badly. And I asked her like three times. But… the schedule or something didn’t work. It just didn’t work out for her. She couldn’t make it.”

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The official synopsis for Scream 7 reads, “When a new Ghostface killer emerges in the quiet town where Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has built a new life, her darkest fears are realized as her daughter (Isabel May) becomes the next target. Determined to protect her family, Sidney must face the horrors of her past to put an end to the bloodshed once and for all.”

Scream 7 is playing in movie theaters. It will be made available on PVOD to watch at home starting on Mar. 31.