Paramount Pictures/Miramax
The alternate Scream 7 ending actually did resurrect original Ghostface Stu Macher but it was scrapped, according to director Kevin Williamson.
The highly anticipated sequel has been met with a mixed reaction, gaining a 31% critic rating against a 77% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. But horror fans also put their wallets behind the movie, as it earned over $100 million worldwide within its first week in theaters.
The film sees Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) try to keep her family alive as she’s hunted by a new Ghostface. But during the film the new killer uses AI to make her think that Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard) survived the events of the original film and had returned to get his revenge on her.
Ultimately, the film did not resurrect the original Ghostface. However, Williamson shot an alternate ending for Scream 7 where Stu did return, but he chose not to include it in the final cut. Here’s why.
Test audiences did not like Stu Macher’s return at the end of Scream 7
Paramount Pictures
Williamson explained that the plan was always to end Scream 7 with the reveal that Stu was still alive, presumably to set up Scream 8. Although he admitted to Esquire that he was worried about how the reveal would work.
“The first time I read it I was like, ‘How is this going to work? How is he going to be alive?'” he recalled. “Furthermore, if it is AI, will part of the audience be disappointed that he’s not real?”
This concern pushed Williamson to shoot Scream 7 both ways so they could decide which version worked best for the sequel itself, rather than forcing the idea. The director added: “We shot a little coda at the end that we had in our back pocket. But oddly enough, the decision was that the audience wanted him dead.”
He continued: “It makes more sense. It’s more real. If he’s alive, that’s a big stretch. We live in a world now where with fake AI, we know that’s possible.” Essentially, making an AI threat is something relatable that audiences can connect with, but resurrecting a killer who had a TV dropped on his head in 1996 is not.
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Will Stu Macher return in Scream 8? Neve Campbell has already pitched a sequel
Paramount Pictures
Could Stu Macher return in Scream 8? There has also been some talk of whether Paramount and Spyglass will greenlight an eighth movie following the financial success of Scream 7, and it turns out that Neve Campbell has already come up with an idea.
On the film’s red carpet Williamson told Deadline: “When you’re sitting on the set at three in the morning, you’re like, ‘Well, what would ‘Scream 8’ be about?’ And you just start spit-balling.
“And Neve had this great idea, and everyone seemed to run with it. So yeah, if this movie works and people want it, we’re here for the fans. So, if they want it, we’ll certainly give it to them.”
He didn’t say whether it would involve Stu Macher or not, but Campbell also came up with the perfect Scream 8 Ghostface twist when speaking to Dexerto.
Paramount Pictures
When reacting to fan comments, she pitched that Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) has to be a “suspect” because she always shows up whenever there’s a new Ghostface killing.
Since Scream 7 shows that Gale is still dealing with the trauma of being attacked in Scream 6, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to suggest that she snaps and dons the iconic mask herself… Scream 8 has not been greenlit yet, but it’s clearly in the works.
Until we know more about Stu Macher’s future and Scream 8, check out our most anticipated movies of 2026 and discover our list of the best movies of 2025.
