'Scream 7' opens with a franchise-best $64.1 million in box-office win
for Paramount
[March 02, 2026]
By JAKE COYLE
NEW YORK (AP) — “Scream” is still making a killing.
Thirty years after the original slasher movie opened in theaters,
“Scream 7” debuted with a franchise-best $64.1 million, according to
studio estimates Sunday. The bigger-than-expected opening is a win for
Paramount, which on Friday announced its acquisition of Warner Bros.
Discovery.
In a so-far sluggish 2026 at the box office, “Scream 7” managed the best
debut of the year, easily displacing last weekend’s champ, the Stephen
Curry-produced animated film “GOAT,” from Sony Pictures.
“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.
“Scream VI” had set a new high (not accounting for inflation) for the
franchise with a $44.4 million launch. That film starred Melissa Barrera
and Jenna Ortega, along with series regulars. But in 2023, Barrera was
dropped from the seventh film by the film’s production company, Spyglass
Media Group, after making comments on the Israel-Hamas war that some
deemed antisemitic. Ortega subsequently dropped out of the film.
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.
But the overperformance of “Scream 7," which added $33.1 million
overseas, gave Paramount more to celebrate on a potentially historic
weekend for the studio. On Friday, its parent company, Paramount
Skydance, announced its intention to merge with Warner Bros. Discovery
after Netflix dropped out of negotiations. The deal, which forms a
Hollywood colossus and remakes the media landscape, awaits regulatory
approval.
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.
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This image released by Paramount Pictures shows the character
Ghostface in a scene from "Scream 7." (Paramount Pictures via AP)
 “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."
After claiming the top spot in its second weekend, “GOAT” dropped to
second place with $12 million in its third weekend. It's so far
accumulated $74 million domestically. “Wuthering Heights,” Emerald
Fennell's Emily Brontë adaptation, fell to third place with $7
million in its third weekend. Its three-week haul stands at $72.3
million.
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.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
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.
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