The upcoming sequel Scream 7 is bringing back another familiar face: David Arquette's Dewey Riley, who makes his return after the character died in the fifth movie.
Deadline reports Scream 7 will mark the return of Arquette's character. He is the latest dead character to return in the upcoming sequel.
Scream 7 will mark the returns of several characters, including Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), Roman Bridger (Scott Foley), and Dewey Riley (David Arquette). How they will factor into the plot of the movie is unclear — Deadline notes the trio of characters are “returning in a surprise way.”
This is an interesting development for Scream 7. Previously, Arquette told ClutchPoints that he was content with the death of Dewey Riley. He explained that the death was so associated with the late Wes Craven, saying it “paralleled” with his character's demise.
“I mean, it is sad. I really enjoyed playing that role,” he said. “I've come to the place where I think there was an element of the Dewey character that was very much part of Wes, part of Wes's sense of humor, and part of Wes's sweetness.
“And I think the fact that we had lost Wes right before that film [Scream, 2022] was also part of the loss of Dewey. He was such an important person in my life and such an amazing man. I can't speak higher of him,” Arquette continued.
Is David Arquette going to return in Scream 7?

When Dewey comes back in Scream 7, expect him to interact with Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and his love interest, Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox).
It is unclear how significant his role is to the plot. Several legacy characters will make their returns in it, and there will also be new characters as well.
Article Continues BelowNeve Campbell returns to the Scream franchise after sitting out of the sixth movie. She had a pay dispute after leading five entries in the franchise.
However, after Melissa Barrera was fired and Jenna Ortega left Scream 7, they needed a new lead. Campbell and Spyglass came to an agreement to bring Sidney back to the fold.
Additionally, she will be joined by Cox, who has starred in all six prior movies. Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown will return as Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin. They were part of the “Core Four” with Barrera and Ortega's characters in the last two Scream movies.
Joel McHale was also cast as Mark Evans, Sidney's husband. McHale is best known for starring in Community from 2009-15. He is currently seen in Animal Control and The Bear.
Kevin Williamson, who created the Scream series, will direct the upcoming seventh movie, which will come out on February 27, 2026. Previously, he wrote the first two movies before letting Ehren Kruger write the third.
He returned to write Scream 4 before sitting out of the fifth and sixth installments. Williamson served as an executive producer of both projects, though.
Guy Busick wrote the script of Scream 7. He developed the story with his collaborative partner, James Vanderbilt. They previously wrote the fifth and sixth Scream movies together.