Actress Isabel May Currently In Talks To Join 'Scream VII' As The Adult Daughter Of Sidney Prescott

Actress Isabel May is said to be talks with joining Scream VIIas the daughter of iconic final girl, Sidney Prescott.

Reports on Wednesday noted that the 1883 star was in the early stages of signing on to the iconic horror franchise after former Scream (2022) and Scream VI’s lead Melissa Barrera was fired from the follow-up film earlier this year. Barrera’s main co-star, Jenna Ortega, revealed soon after that she would not be returning for Scream VII.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Isabelle May would be cast in Scream VII as the adult daughter of Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell).

If this occurs, it would fit a theory that has been floating around internet spaces about the upcoming film for months. To properly explain, we have to go back to the fifth Scream movie – hereby referred to as Scream (2022).

(Spoilers ahead for Scream (2022). Please avoid if necessary.)

Taking place around 25 years after the events of Scream (1996), the fifth installment sees Sidney Prescott living life far away from her Woodsboro origins and the multiple massacres that all connect back to her and her late mother, Maureen Prescott, as TIME explains.

When a new set of killers begin targeting Woodsboro in an attempt to get to Sidney, former sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette) reaches out to his old friend to warn her about the dangers that may be coming her way. While in conversation, Sidney mentions her husband Mark Kincaid (Scream 3’s Patrick Dempsey) and her young children, a set of twins seen with Sidney in a double-stroller.

Though Sidney doesn’t appear in the follow-up, 2023’s Scream VI, the events of that film take place one year after the most recent murders in Woodsboro.

This would mean that a significant time jump would have to occur between the events of Scream VI and Scream VII – and there are multiple reports that appear to align with this theory.

With Isabell May possibly coming into Scream VII as Sidney’s adult daughter, rumors of a “big time jump” and a new trilogy began to spread through online spaces earlier this year feel more solid than ever before.

Beginning in May 2024, publications such as MSN and Screen Rant began to publish the aforementioned rumors by way of film insider Daniel Richtman.

“According to insider Daniel Richtman, Scream VII will have a 'big time jump' and will focus on Sidney's kids. It's also intended to start a new trilogy, similar to what the 2022 film did. Sidney's children were small [in Scream (2022)], and a time jump might have to go beyond the present day to reach the intended timeline.”

Though no official word has come from Spyglass Entertainment or Paramount Pictures about moving the story forward in this way, it does appear that Richtman’s word may hold more weight than previously believed.

THR notes that the seventh installment of the horror classic is currently in “rebuilding mode” after Spyglass Entertainment fired Barerra in late 2023 over alleged anti-Semitic comments the actress made on social media regarding the Israel-Hamas war.

Barrera (seen above with Scream VI co-stars Jasmine Savoy Brown and Jenna Ortega) first portrayed Sam Carpenter, the illegitimate daughter of Scream (1996) killer Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), in the 2022 “re-quel” (a reboot/sequel) and again in Scream VI, released in 2023.

Ortega, who played Sam’s half-sister Tara Carpenter in both entries, was said to have “quietly exited” the franchise months before Barrera’s dismissal, as also reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Reps for the actress would later confirm that scheduling conflicts with Netflix’s Wednesday, which Ortega currently leads, was the root cause of the actress’s departure.

Following these exits, director Christopher Landon, initially taking over for Radio Silence, announced that he, too, had departed Scream VII weeks before.

“I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited Scream 7 weeks ago,” Landon noted on X/Twitter. "This will disappoint some and delight others. It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart did break for everyone involved. Everyone. But it’s time to move on.”

Initially blamed for Barrera’s firing, Landon actually defended the actress in an earlier post, claiming, “This was not my decision to make.”

As of now, Scream VII will be directed by franchise creator Kevin Williamson, with Scream (2022) and Scream VI writer Gary Busick penning the script.

Although fans may be contentious over the choice to have Scream VII start “a new trilogy,” the final moments of Scream VI do present the possibility of having it play out this way.

(Spoilers ahead for Scream VI. Please avoid if necessary.)

After defeating the father and young siblings of Scream (2022) killer Richie Kirsch (Jack Quaid), Sam and Tara prepare for the road ahead. In the movie’s final scene, as shared on Collider, a battered and worn Sam glances down at the Ghostface mask once worn by her father, Billy Loomis.

As she starts to wonder if his murderous streak has been passed down to her once again, Tara calls out to her, snapping Sam out of the dark thought and back to reality. Sam then throws Billy’s mask to the ground and walks away with her young sister, survivors once more.

All six movies in the Scream franchise can currently be streamed on multiple platforms. Variety has put together a list of where they can all be found. The last two entries in the franchise, Scream (2022) and Scream VI, can be streamed on Paramount +.

Scream VII has a tentative release date of Feb. 27, 2026.