The Scream Franchise Timeline Explained

"Scream" is unlike most major horror franchises in every way. Where "Friday the 13th," for example, never embraced a single female character long-term (often killing the Final Girl at the beginning of the next film), "Scream" became Sidney Prescott's (Neve Campbell) story. She's survived five attacks and grown stronger and more resilient because of it. Then, take "Halloween." The Michael Myers saga has been retconned and rebooted twice already. Meanwhile, the Ghostface slasher has kept a steady storyline, only adding character backstory to naturally further the plot. The timeline has never been mangled by wild cult subplots. Each installment builds organically from the previous legacy.

As such, the most fascinating aspects of the "Scream" series lie in several big reveals in later sequels. Additionally, Gale Weathers' (Courteney Cox) exploitation of real-life events for her writing career, as well as the resulting "Stab" universe, adds even more complexity to Ghostface's history. With a seventh film confirmed, it's time to retrace the "Scream" franchise's entire timeline. Grab some popcorn, sit back, and relax. And whatever you do, don't answer the phone.

Randy probably could've predicted the big revelation in "Scream" (2022). But any horror aficionado already knows how franchises typically get more convoluted as they go along. So, it's no shocker that the fifth Ghostface film goes one step further to reveal a lovechild fans never knew existed. The film's central protagonists Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega) are half-sisters. In an emotional confession, Sam confides to Tara that she was scrounging around the attic for Christmas presents when she came across their mother's diaries. Curious about how their parents got together, she flipped through one and discovered a hard truth she never expected: her real birth father is none other than Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich). She was only 13 (putting the year around 2009), and the news sent her down a dark path of drug addiction and alcohol abuse. She later abandoned the family to forge another life in a town called Modesto.

In the original "Scream," Billy and Sidney are in an on-again, off-again relationship. During one separation, Billy hooked up with Christina Carpenter, who was dating Tara's father around the same time. Christina then lied about the pregnancy and covered up the affair. As the secret baby, Sam suffers from hallucinations of Billy, for which she takes antipsychotic medication. Her very existence gives the requel a decent reason to exist.

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The events in "Scream" unravel in real time. The story develops in a linear fashion, starting with the iconic opening kill of Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore) that ignites Ghostface's reign of terror. The film, helmed by screenwriter Kevin Williamson and director Wes Craven, famously upends slasher conventions while simultaneously leaning into them and defining new rules. Sidney Prescott lies at the heart of the story. She is a Final Girl by definition, yet her entire character defies all preconceived ideas. As the killers circle around her like vultures, she still struggles with her mother's death and watches as her friends are picked off one by one. First, there's Casey and Steve, then Principal Hembry (Henry Winkler), Tatum (Rose McGowan), and cameraman Kenny (W. Earl Brown). Her boyfriend Billy does little to console her. In fact, he places the blame squarely on her shoulders.

News anchor Gale Weathers deals in salacious headlines and leads local coverage of the murder spree. She strikes up an unlikely, very flirtatious friendship with deputy Dewey Riley (David Arquette), a well-meaning, oddball cop and older brother to Tatum. The film's tone perfectly balances humor and terror with acrobatic ease, wielding a sharp whodunnit blade of its own. The story culminates in a high school party at accomplice Stu Macher's (Matthew Lillard) house. Sidney, Gale, and Randy are the last ones standing. In one of the final moments, Sydney delivers the epic line, "Not in my movie," after shooting a reanimated Billy in the head.

For her follow-up novel, Gale Weathers records the events of "Scream" in her 1997 book "The Woodsboro Murders." Considering she was greatly involved, both as an investigative reporter and a Ghostface target, no one has better expertise to bring all the titillating details to print. She keenly recalls the events through her singular perspective, while centering the action around Sidney Prescott.

Naturally, Gale exaggerates certain elements from the real events, including her cameraman Kenny's death and the big finale, while also harpooning Dewey's performance as a deputy. In "Scream 2," Dewey confronts Gale about how she wrote about his job and specifically calls out a passage on page 32. "Deputy Dewey filled the room with his Barney Fife-ish presence," he chides. Then, he names a separate excerpt from page 41, saying, "[He] oozed with inexperience." "The Woodsboro Murders" becomes the source for a blockbuster slasher franchise titled "Stab," explored with numerous sequels throughout the "Scream" universe.

Three years later, Sidney has changed her name to Laura and gone into hiding. "Scream 3" is set in 2001, and Sidney now works as a counselor for a women's domestic violence hotline and spends her free time walking her dog, Cherokee. Her father Neil shows up from time to time to deliver groceries she needs, and it appears she's making the best life she possibly can — except for the nightmares about her mother. Woodsboro is traded up for Hollywood. Cotton Weary finally regained footing with the public and now hosts his own talk show. In the opening, he is stuck in traffic when he gets a call from the new Ghostface, who uses a voice changer to mimic other people's voices. The killer pretends to be an obsessed fan but quickly reveals plans to kill his girlfriend. Cotton rushes home, and in a shocking twist, Ghostface punctures his heart.

"Scream 3" follows the production of "Stab 3" with a cast of doppelgängers as the new victims: Parker Posey as Jennifer (or Gale in "Stab 3"), Matt Keeslar as Tom Prinze (or Dewey), and Scott Foley as Roman Bridger, the film's director. Roman adds a flair for the dramatic in his approach to Ghostface, revealing in the third act that he's Sidney's long-lost brother and first child of Maureen Prescott. He lays out all his vengeful plans with relish but, of course, it's not enough to distract Sidney from taking him down.

A decade is an eternity in the movie world. "Scream 4" is like reconnecting with friends you haven't seen since high school. Sidney has triumphantly moved on with her life and written a memoir, titled "Out of Darkness," about her experiences in reclaiming her life. She's no longer willing to be a victim and instead has learned to take charge by rewriting the narrative. The promotion for the book revolves around the 15th anniversary of the infamous Woodsboro murders, setting the film's events in September 2011. It's her first time returning to her hometown since her father died, if you consider Neil Prescott's fate in the deleted scene canon. 

The town looks pretty much the same as it did decades ago, and a new group of fresh-faced teens, including Sidney's cousin Jill (Emma Roberts) and her best friend Kirby (Hayden Panettiere), are put up on the butcher's block. With commentary digging into remakes, "Scream 4" is essentially a reimagining of the 1996 original film, in spirit at least. The story flips expectations, like misdirecting the audience with a "false ending," as resident film geek Charlie (Rory Culkin) describes, before ending with a big finale. Instead, the third act unravels across two locations (initially Kirby's house and later the hospital) and taps into fame-hungry influencer culture. The killers 一 revealed as Jill and Charlie 一 want to "know fame like you never even dreamed of," as Jill professes in her epically deranged monologue.

Ten more years separate the last entry and "Scream" (2022). The latest bloodbath marks the 25th anniversary of the original, marking it as set in 2021. Sidney Prescott has put the past further in her rearview mirror — and in more ways than one. She's married to Mark (from "Scream 3") and mom to several young girls. "I'm trying to get a run in before I take the girls to school," she tells Dewey over the phone, as she pushes a stroller along a scenic boardwalk. The victims this time are Sam and her younger sister Tara. Woodsboro has returned to its quieter, more idyllic days. Ghosts of the past only linger in hushed rumors and gossip. When Ghostface strikes, he comes back with a vengeance. 

Everything relates back to the past, from the primary targets — each connected to the original killers — and the return of the original trio. Horror commentary references legacy sequels (or as Randy's niece Mindy explains, a "requel"), toxic fandom, and "elevated" horror. Dewey's shocking death in the third act leads to Sidney's long-awaited return to town, but her presence is merely ceremonial. The two killers, Richie and Amber (Mikey Madison), met over a "Stab" sub-Reddit and conspired to create their own version of "Stab" but with actual stakes. Sam, who sees visions of her dead dad Billy, uses her familial lineage to channel her inner serial killer, ultimately stabbing Richie dozens of times. Sam and Tara both fill Sidney's shoes quite nicely.

Details surrounding the seventh installment are few. What we do know is "Freaky" and "Happy Death Day" filmmaker Christopher Landon has been tapped to direct. He takes the reins from Radio Silence's Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the team behind the previous two films. It's unclear who will write the script, but it should be noted Landon is also an accomplished screenwriter. Landon's directing credits also include "Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones" and "We Have a Ghost."

It is anticipated that Melissa Barrera, Mason Gooding, and Jenna Ortega will reprise their roles. As The Hollywood Report states, the cast "do not have deals for a new installment but are expected to return." Given the writer and actor strikes currently underway, deals aren't likely to be ironed out anytime soon. Any other news surrounding "Scream VII" will be slow coming, at least until negotiations result in writers and actors being paid fairly. There's also no indication about whether Courtney Cox will be returning or if Neve Campbell will get a decent raise and make a comeback. Fingers crossed!

The next film has an opportunity to take things to even greater heights. Perhaps another change in location is in store, like a snow-capped mountain lodge in upstate New York. It would certainly supply plenty of cool setpieces, that's for sure.