Back From the Beyond? David Arquette Returning for ‘Scream 7’

As the “Scream 7” cast list grows, so do our questions. We’re thrilled to finally be meeting the daughter of longtime Final Girl Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), played by “1883’s” Isabel May, and Mark Evans (Joel McHale), Sidney’s never-before-seen husband. But now that Deadline has announced that long-suffering — and dead — Deputy Dewey Riley, played by David Arquette, is also returning, we’re eager to learn more about what’s in store for Sidney this time.

Arquette is One of Ghostface’s Many Victims

Dewey met his demise in the fifth film, 2022’s “Scream,” after being ruthlessly stabbed by Amber Freeman as Ghostface, played by recent Oscar winner Mikey Madison. The decision to kill a character that had become integral to the movie series was just as gut-wrenching for Arquette to accept as it was for the fans.

“I read it,” he said to Variety at the time. “I put it down. I took a deep breath. It was sad. I mean, it’s something that I’ve been a part of for so long. So I had to process that.”

Dewey quickly became a favorite character after he rose to the occasion to protect Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), Sidney, and her friends in the original “Scream” movie. The death of his sister Tatum (Rose McGowan) by the Ghostface killers along with his marriage to Gale made him even more beloved.

Cox also expressed her sadness over Dewey’s absence and hoped he could be brought back. “Dewey is so loved by ‘Scream’ fans,” she told Variety at a charity event. “They have to figure it out.”

He Isn’t the Only Character Returning From the Grave

The return of David Arquette for ‘Scream 7’ isn’t the only surprising news for fans of the horror franchise. Matthew Lillard, who portrayed Stu Macher, one of the original Ghostface killers, in the first film, is also making a comeback. His playful announcement at Megacon Orlando’s ‘Scream’ panel in February, where he joked about returning as a fairy godmother, only added to the excitement. He confirmed that Stu would indeed be part of ‘Scream 7.’

In January, Scott Foley announced that he would also reprise his role as Roman Bridger. Dewey shot and killed Roman in “Scream 3” after he confirmed that he was not only the Ghostface killer but Sidney Prescott’s half-brother and mastermind of the first film’s murders.

Foley was just as surprised as everyone else when Kevin Williamson asked him to be in the film. “‘What could I possibly be doing?!'” he told Collider. “And he explained it to me, and I thought, ‘Oh! Okay. That makes sense.’ There is a world where you will not have to suspend disbelief.”