In a surprising twist, Hayden Panettiere is returning to the Scream franchise.
The news comes courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, with the outlet reporting that Panettiere is returning as Kirby Reed for Scream 6. The actress first appeared in Scream 4, which debuted in 2011 and also starred Emma Roberts as Jill Roberts. Scream 4 marked the final Scream film to be directed by Wes Craven prior to his passing in 2015. The movie also saw Craven reunite with Kevin Williamson who penned the original film and its sequel.
Panettiere’s return comes a day after four more survivors were announced for Scream 6. She’ll join Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding and Jenna Ortega who all starred in the fifth film, Scream. Also confirmed to return for the film is Courtney Cox, and while Neve Campbell has not been announced yet, she has confirmed she was approached for the project.
The sixth Scream film will be directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick. The project will be produced by Project X Entertainment’s Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein and William Sherak. Williamson, who penned the first Scream film, is also on board as a producer.
Principal photography on Scream 6 is slated to kick off this summer. The film is set to hit theaters on March 31, 2023.
Source: THR.
