Scream 7 Sets Paramount Box Office Record Despite Protests

The latest installment in the long-running horror franchise overcame negative reviews and fan backlash to become Paramount's best-ever horror debut.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The seventh edition of the Scream franchise made $64.1 million at the box office over its opening weekend, surpassing prerelease tracking estimates and becoming Paramount's highest-grossing horror debut. This was despite protests over the firing of actress Melissa Barrera prior to filming and poor reviews criticizing the film as a "cynical product" and "contractual obligation." Analysts say the strength of the Scream intellectual property and audiences' hunger for a familiar franchise entry helped the film overcome the negative buzz.

Why it matters

The success of Scream 7 highlights the continued power of established intellectual property and franchises at the box office, even in the face of online backlash and poor reviews. This could further reinforce studios' focus on sequels, reboots, and other familiar IP over original films, which some see as a concerning trend in the industry.

The details

Scream 7 made $64.1 million in its opening weekend, surpassing prerelease tracking estimates of $45-60 million. This made it Paramount's best-ever horror debut and the first film to top $50 million in its first three days since Avatar: Fire and Ash. The film overcame protests over the firing of actress Melissa Barrera prior to filming, as well as poor reviews that described it as a "cynical product" and "contractual obligation." Analysts say the strength of the Scream franchise and audiences' desire for a familiar horror entry helped the film succeed despite the negative buzz.

  • Scream 7 had its back-lot premiere at Paramount last week.
  • The film was released in theaters on March 1, 2026.

The players

Scream 7

The seventh installment in the long-running Scream horror franchise.

Paramount

The film studio that produced and distributed Scream 7.

Melissa Barrera

An actress who was fired from Scream VI prior to filming due to her pro-Palestine social media posts, which the studio criticized as antisemitic.

Jenna Ortega

An actress who departed Scream VI in solidarity with Melissa Barrera's firing.

Christopher Landon

The director who departed Scream VI in solidarity with Melissa Barrera's firing.

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What they’re saying

“To me it highlights one thing in particular: the strength of franchise IP. January and February have been one big nothingburger at the box office. You bring in one huge franchise and look at what happens. The box office goes completely bonkers over a movie most people consider mid. And the reviews don't matter; the online backlash doesn't matter. It just steamrolls everything.”

— Jeff Bock, Senior Analyst, Exhibitor Relations (Vulture)

“Pretty bad reviews: Scream 7 transcended all that. It was the experience that people knew they were going to get that transcended any negative sentiment. It's like, This may not be the best roller coaster. But it's still a roller coaster. There are gonna be some twists and turns that you love — even if there are twists and turns that you don't love!”

— Paul Dergarabedian, Senior Media Analyst, Comscore (Vulture)

What’s next

The continued success of the Scream franchise could lead Paramount to greenlight additional sequels, reboots, or spinoffs in the coming years.

The takeaway

Scream 7's box office success, despite negative reviews and fan backlash, underscores the power of established intellectual property and franchises in the current movie landscape. This could further incentivize studios to prioritize sequels, reboots, and other familiar IP over original films, a trend that some see as concerning for the long-term health of the industry.