Scream 7 is bringing back David Arquette’s Dewey Riley, and he will be the third ᴅᴇᴀᴅ character to return in the upcoming sequel. As one of the slasher franchise’s original characters, Dewey appeared in every installment up until 2022’s Scream, when he died at the hands of the latest Ghostface killer. The Scream 7 cast is already confirmed to include Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley, whose characters, Stu Macher and Roman Bridger, were killed in the original Scream movie and Scream 3, respectively.
Now, another ᴅᴇᴀᴅ character is coming back. According to ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, Arquette will return to play Dewey in the forthcoming Scream 7. However, any details regarding how his character comes back and the film’s plot are currently under wraps.
What Dewey Riley’s Return Means For Scream 7
Another ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Character Is Coming Back
Deputy Dewey Riley is also the latest original character returning in Scream 7, alongside Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), and Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard). Dewey was killed off in 2022’s Scream by Amber Freeman, one of two Ghostface killers in the film, who was played by recent Oscar winner Mikey Madison (Anora). The return of Dewey is notable not only because the character is deceased but also because of the connections he has to other returning characters.
Dewey is the older brother of Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan), who was a victim of the original Ghostface killers Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) and Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), the latter of whom is returning in Scream 7. Dewey was also the one who killed Scott Foley’s character, Roman Bridger and Sydney’s secret half-brother, in Scream 3. Dewey was also married and later divorced to Gale Weathers. With Dewey Riley returning, many of these character dynamics should be revisited in Scream 7.
Scream 7’s cast also includes the returning Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown alongside newcomers Isabel May, Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann, Mckenna Grace, Sam Rechner, Anna Camp, Joel McHale, Mark Consuelos, and Ethan Embry.
Our Take On Dewey Riley Returning In Scream 7
The Sequel Is Relying On Legacy Characters
Scream 7 was initially going to bring back Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, who departed due to different reasons, leaving mᴀssive holes to fill. It’s clear that Scream 7‘s strategy to compensate for these losses is to rely on legacy characters. However, by bringing three and possibly more characters back from the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, Scream 7 could risk overcompensating for these losses and ruining the franchise’s continuity. It’s unclear exactly how these characters will come back though, so fans should reserve judgment until that much becomes clear.
Scream 7 is set for release on February 27, 2026.
Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline
