“Scream 7” was a smash hit at the box office in its opening weekend, with $97.2 million in ticket sales worldwide.
The latest installment in Paramount and Spyglass Media’s long-running slasher series has raked in $33.1 million overseas and $64.1 million domestically. These returns mark worldwide, international and North American records for the series, which began with 1996’s “Scream.”
Directed by Kevin Williamson, who wrote the original Scream, the seventh installment follows a new Ghostface killer targeting Neve Campbell’s resilient heroine Sidney Prescott’s daughter. Campbell returned to the franchise after sitting out the sixth game due to salary issues. Box office watchers believe the return of her character and nostalgia for other traditional cast members such as Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Matthew Lillard were factors in the film’s record opening weekend attendance.
Premium screens also contributed to the better-than-expected start, with Imax, ScreenX and other pricier formats accounting for 40% of the total box office. This is the first film in the Scream series to be offered on Imax.
“This historic, series-record-breaking box office performance is a testament to the enduring legacy created by director Kevin Williamson 30 years ago, led by the incomparable Neve Campbell, breakout star Isabel May, classic Courteney Cox and the entire cast,” said Gary Barber, Chairman and CEO of Spyglass Media. “We are deeply grateful to audiences around the world who enthusiastically traveled to theaters around the world to enjoy another thrilling Ghostface experience.”
With a marketing campaign for “Scream 7” that included key spots at the Super Bowl and appearances by Ghostface at events such as UFC 324 in Las Vegas, the studio hoped to excite fans of the series as well as younger, horror-loving viewers.
“Selling the seventh film in the series is a daunting task,” says Josh Goldstein, Paramount’s president of global marketing and distribution. “We focused on bringing nostalgia. This year is Scream’s 30th anniversary and Neve is back. We focused our promotion on this sense of destiny and ‘this is what’s leading us to this.'”
In terms of international starts, these ticket sales are 35% higher than 2023’s Scream VI in the same group of markets. (The sixth film in the series grossed $22.6 million in 53 territories, and finished its theatrical run with $58 million overseas and $166 million worldwide.) “Scream 7” had the highest debut in the UK with $5.3 million, followed by France with $4.2 million, Mexico with $3 million, Australia with $2.5 million and Germany with $2.4 million. It has not yet opened in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
After a tough 2025 for Paramount, “Scream 7” is the studio’s first No. 1 release since last March’s action comedy “Novocaine.” Earlier this week, Paramount shocked Hollywood by outbidding Netflix for control of Warner Bros. Discovery. The company’s CEO, David Ellison, has made other promises, but theater owners are concerned that the massive media consolidation will mean fewer new releases will be shown on the big screen at a time when box office sales are already tough.
At the global box office, “Wuthering Heights” is approaching the $200 million mark after its first three weekends. So far, Emerald Fennell’s literary adaptation has grossed $119.7 million internationally in 78 territories and $72.3 million in North America. The $80 million movie continues Warner Bros.’ box office success streak, following last year’s hits like “Sinners,” “A Minecraft Movie” and “Weapons.”
Another highlight was Sony’s original animated adventure “GOAT,” which grossed $130.5 million worldwide. These revenues include $56.6 million internationally and $73.9 million domestically from 53 markets. With an $80 million price tag, “GOAT” will face competition from the release of Disney and Pixar’s “Hoppers” next weekend.
