'Scream 7' Taps 'Happy Death Day' Filmmaker Christopher Landon To Helm Franchise

"Scream 7" has reportedly found its next director, and it will be "Freaky" and "Happy Death Day" filmmaker, Christopher Landon, per The Hollywood Reporter. Landon will now be taking over from Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the duo known as Radio Silence, who was behind the highly successful 2022 revival and this year's hit film, "Scream VI."

Landon is an experienced filmmaker who is well versed in mixing horror with comedy, a particular brand of horror that often comes with the "Scream" series. He previously helmed "Happy Death Day" and its sequel, "Happy Death Day 2U," along with body-swapping horror-comedy "Freaky." He also directed this year's supernatural comedy original feature on Netflix, "We Have a Ghost."

"Scream VI" became another big hit for Paramount Pictures, grossing $108 million domestically, and $168 million worldwide. It surpassed the box office performance of last year's "Scream," which finished with $81 million domestically and $137 million worldwide. The latest film also performed fairly well with critics, scoring 76% on Rotten Tomatoes.

THR reports that Radio Silence stepped back from the franchise as they are now focusing on a new original horror project for Universal Pictures, which is currently on hold due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA strikes against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). However, Radio Silence, along with third group member Chad Villela, will remain on board the seventh installment as executive producers.

THR also notes that the newest stars of the franchise from the fifth and sixth films, Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, do not have deals yet for the next film, along with costar Mason Gooding. However, they are reportedly expected to return for the sequel once the strike issues are resolved. Ortega previously boarded the franchise before she shot up to stardom thanks to the hit Netflix series "Wednesday," so it will be interesting to see what kind of deal she manages to get for the next installment.

It will also be interesting to see if any of the legacy cast members return for "Scream 7." Courteney Cox did return for the sixth installment as Gale Weathers. However, Neve Campbell did not reprise her role as Sidney Prescott for the last film.

Another deal that's not set up yet is a new writer. The last two films were co-written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick. Director Landon does have experience as a writer, having served as a co-writer on many of his directorial efforts. However, the script issue also reportedly won't be settled until the WGA strike is resolved as well.

Paramount, which released the last two films, is also expected to release "Scream 7." The first four films were directed by the late horror master Wes Craven ("Nightmare on Elm Street") and were written by Kevin Williamson, including the iconic 1996 original film.

All the films involve a serial killer who utilizes a familiar white mask, taking on the role of "Ghostface" in bloody horror meta-commentary romps.  "Scream 7" won't be able to really take shape until the AMPTP reaches new deals with the guilds. It does not yet have an official release date. "Scream VI" is streaming now on Paramount+.