“Scream 7” officially welcomes the return of beloved Ghostface Survivor

The fan-favorite cast of the iconic Scream franchise just joined the “Shout 7!”

News broke Tuesday that the star has officially signed on to play Ghostface in the latest installment of the long-running horror series. With their participation comes the hope that another familiar face may soon join them.

The two-time survivor of Ghostface is primed and ready to take on the masked killer for round three in Scream 7.

According to available data, the actor Mason Gooding will reprise his role as friendly jock Chad Meeks-Martin, an alumnus of the Core Four first introduced in the 2022 Scream reboot/sequel.

The 28-year-old performer and son of Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. now joins franchise mainstay Neve Campbell, who returns after an absence from 2023’s Scream VI due to a pay dispute, and new cast members Isabel May, Asa Herman , Celeste O’Connor, McKenna Grace, and Sam Rechner, trans The Hollywood Reporter.

Kevin Williamson, screenwriter of the original 1996 Scream film, will direct the film, with Guy Busick writing the story.

The addition of Gooding to “Scream 7” creates an interesting twist in the continuation of the story because of the remaining “Core Four” and the actors who play them.

Melissa Barrera, who joined Scream (2022) as the title character Sam Carpenter and reprized the role in Scream 6, was reportedly fired from the franchise after her comments regarding the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.

Days later, actress Jenna Ortega, who played Sam’s on-screen sister Tara, revealed that she had quietly asked to be released from Scream 7 months before the controversy over scheduling conflicts with Netflix’s hit series Wednesday.

That leaves Jasmine Savoy Brown, who played Mindy Meeks-Martin, Chad’s twin sister and the last of the Core Four.

As of this writing, no official announcement has been made regarding Brown’s return.

However, there are rumors online that the actress told fans at the recent Comic Con Expo in Sao Paulo that she will not be starring in Scream 7.

Chad’s presence in Scream 7 is (the movie) a miracle, given the horrible character he was left in in Scream 6.

(Spoilers for Scream 6.)

In an attempt to lure Ghostface out into the open, Chad is chased into the movie theater by not one, but two masked figures.

Afterwards, he is caught by the killers and stabbed again and again. With what appeared to be his last breath, Chad orders Tara, who was slightly ahead of him, to keep running. In the final moments of the film, a battered but alive Tara hears the emergency medical crews telling each other that they have found another survivor of the carnage.

The audience then sees Chad being carried away on a stretcher, similar to Ghostface’s other victim in several Scream movies, former Woodsboro Sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette).

Talking to Entertainment Weekly in 2023, Gooding admitted that Chad’s stunning survival was a fluke because he wasn’t even supposed to survive Scream (2022).

“I was kind of bait and switch,” he explained. “The script I got the first time said I died. I don’t think you necessarily go into a Scream movie expecting to live every time. It wasn’t until we started filming Scream 5 that I was told I was going to survive and make it to the next one.”

As expected, there are no details about the plot of “Scream 7” yet. However, the inclusion of new castmate Isabella May in November has given weight to rumors that the new film could take place years after Scream 6.

As reported here on ExplosionMay is set to play the grown-up daughter of Sidney Prescott (Campbell), the franchise’s original heroine.

Sydney was last seen with her little ones in Scream (2022) and has not mentioned any other children with husband Mark Kincaid (Patrick Dempsey).

If May’s role is to be believed, the possible events of Scream 7 would seem to take place long after the events of Scream 6.

None of these factors, however, have been confirmed – except for the identity of May’s character.

Scream 7 is currently slated for release on February 27, 2026.

In the meantime, watch Scream (2022) and Scream 6 on Paramount+.