Patrick Dempsey in talks to return as Detective Mark Kincaid for Scream 7 after 20-plus year hiatus
After a hiatus of over twenty years, it looks like Patrick Dempsey may be returning to the Scream film franchise.
In an interview with PeopleThe 58-year-old actor confirmed that he is in talks to reprise his role as Detective Mark Kincaid for the upcoming Scream 7, which already stars original star Neve Campbell.
“Well, they’ve talked to me about it and I think they’re still working on the script,” Dempsey revealed. ‘And of course Neve [Campbell] has signed up, so I guess we’ll see.’
Dempsey is eagerly awaiting the script to be sent to him, hoping that the film and his role are still on track towards the start of production.
“I’m waiting to read the script and see if it actually goes,” the Lewiston, Maine native explained. ‘In this business you never know what’s going to happen. But if the opportunity arises and it becomes a reality, I will definitely take it seriously.”
Patrick Dempsey, 58, revealed that he is in talks to rejoin the cast of the Scream film franchise for the upcoming Scream 7; (L) seen in 2023; (R) seen in a 2000 Scream still
The first two films in the franchise – Scream (1996) and Scream 2 (1997) – were both hits at the box office, grossing $173 million and $172 million respectively.
The longtime Grey’s Anatomy star appeared in one of the franchise films, Scream 3 (2000), directed by the late and legendary Wes Craven, who worked from a script by Ehren Kruger, who had replaced Kevin Williamson after writing the first two . deadlines.
He played the husband of Campbell’s Sidney Prescott in the film which also starred Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers) and David Arquette (Dewey Riley), as well as Scott Foley (Roman Bridger), Lance Henriksen (John Milton), Matt Keeslar (Tom Prinze ), Jenny McCarthy (Sarah Darling), Emily Mortimer (Angelina Tyler), Parker Posey (Jennifer Jolie), Deon Richmond (Tyson Fox) and Liev Schreiber (Cotton Weary).
In the film, Dempsey’s Kincaid helps investigate the Stab 3 murders while developing a romantic interest in Sidney.
Ultimately, Scream 3 became a hit at the worldwide box office, grossing $161.8 million in revenue against a $40 million budget.
Campbell confirmed her return to the Scream group last March after first playing the character in the original Scream (1996).
Directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, the first in the series also starred David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich and Drew Barrymore.
Set in the fictional town of Woodsboro, California, the story follows high school student Sidney Prescott (Campbell) and her friends, who are targeted by a costumed serial killer known as Ghostface on the anniversary of her mother’s murder.
The murder mystery, slasher film ultimately became a hit at the worldwide box office, grossing $173 million after spending between $14 and 15 million on production.
Dempsey joined the franchise for the third installment, playing Det. Mark Kinkaid, who is married to Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell)
Ultimately, Scream 3 became a hit at the worldwide box office, earning $161.8 million in revenue against a $40 million budget.
The Craven and Williamson teamed up again for Scream 2 (1997), with Arquette, Campbell and Cox reprising their roles, along with cast newcomers Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jamie Kennedy, Laurie Metcalf, Jerry O’Connell, Jada Pinkett and Liev . Schreiber.
The first sequel proved to have similar success to the original, grossing $172 million at the worldwide box office, but this time the budget increased to $24 million.
Williamson returned to the franchise for Scream 4 (2011) alongside Craven as director, but it floundered in the money-making department, earning $97.2 million on a $40 million budget.
Although Dempsey did not appear in the third sequel, his character did receive a mention by Dewey in the fifth film, simply titled Scream (2022), and again in Scream VI (2023) when Gale reveals Det. Kincaid is said to be in hiding.
The fifth episode was the first in the series not to be directed by Wes Craven, who died in 2015 and to whom the film is dedicated.
It brought in a slew of new cast members such as Melissa Barrera, Mason Gooding, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid and Marley Shelton, in addition to Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Neve Campbell.
Box office receipts for the fourth sequel recovered to eventually reach $138.9 million, while the production ultimately cost $24 million.
The most recent in the franchise, Scream VI (2023), saw the return of Melissa Barrera, Cox, Ortega and Gooding, while Jasmin Savoy Brown, Jack Champion, Henry Czerny, Liana Liberato, Dermot Mulroney, Devyn Nekoda, Tony Revolori, among others , Josh Segarra, Samara Weaving and Hayden Panettiere.
Although Dempsey did not appear in the third sequel, his character did receive a mention by Dewey in the fifth film, simply titled Scream (2022), and again in Scream VI (2023) when Gale reveals Det. Kincaid to be in hiding; stars Melissa Barrera, Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox are pictured
Campbell confirmed that she will be reprising her role as Sidney Prescott in Scream 7
After the fifth installment, Scream (2022) returned the franchise and was given movie status. The sequel, Scream VI (2023) also did well, earning fans $169 million on a production that reportedly cost between $33-35 million.
With Dempsey likely to join the cast, Scream 7, with Kevin Williamson directing, will hit theaters on February 27, 2026.
Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett working from a script by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, the sixth installment proved to be a winning combination by earning $169 million against a production budget of between $33 and 35 million.
News of a Scream 7 was announced in August 2023, with Christopher Landon set to direct, but months later the filmmaker, whose resume includes Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014), Freaky (2020) and Happy Death Day (2017), has announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he is no longer attached to the production.
Melissa Barrera will not return after being fired from the franchise in November 2023 over pro-Palestine posts that production company Spyglass Media said “crossed the line into hate speech.”
Now being directed by Kevin Williamson, who wrote several of the previous franchise films, Scream 7 is expected to hit theaters on February 27, 2026.