Washington [US]: Actor and comedian Joel McHale has joined the cast of the iconic Scream franchise. McHale will play the role of Mark Evans, the husband of Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), joining a star-studded ensemble that includes Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers, Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin, and newcomers Isabel May, Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann, Mckenna Grace, Sam Rechner, and Anna Camp, as reported by Deadline.
Isabel May will portray Sidney’s daughter, although further details regarding the character and plot of the latest installment in the meta-horror franchise from Spyglass and Paramount Pictures remain under wraps. Scream 7 is set to hit theatres on February 27, 2026.
The Scream franchise, which began in 1996, originally written by Kevin Williamson, has been a landmark in the slasher genre, with Wes Craven directing its sequels. In 2022, the franchise was revitalized with the release of Scream 5, directed by Radio Silence, bringing back legacy cast members like Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette, along with a fresh group of actors. Scream 6, which was released in 2023, became the franchise’s highest-grossing film.
After some changes behind the scenes—including the departure of Jenna Ortega, the firing of actor Melissa Barrera, and the exit of director Christopher Landon—the film has been restructured. James Vanderbilt, William Sherak, and Paul Neinstein, who worked on both Scream 5 and Scream VI, will continue to produce the new installment for Project X Entertainment.
Currently, McHale stars in and executive produces Fox’s popular comedy series Animal Control, which returned for its third season earlier this month. Additionally, he plays Chef David, the abusive former boss of Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy, in FX’s The Bear, also reported by Deadline.