See Hayden Panettiere Return In Scream 6

Hayden Panettiere will be back for Scream 6, and we have a first look at the actress in the horror franchise revival.

By Douglas Helm | Published

Hayden Panetierre Scream 6

While Neve Campbell might not be returning to the next Scream movie, a first for the franchise, but at least fans can look forward to another favorite character returning — Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby Reed. Jasmin Savoy Brown, who plays Mindy Meeks, took over the Scream account for the social media app BeReal and posted a pic of Hayden in the hair and makeup trailer for the next entry to the long-running slasher franchise. Take a look at the post below:

We last saw Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby Reed in Scream 4. Scream 4 was certainly a divisive entry to the series, as it both rebooted the franchise while acting as a remake of sorts. However, Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby Reed was undoubtedly a standout, with many fans loving her character. She was stabbed in Scream 4 with her fate left to question, so some thought she may not have survived the movie. With her appearance in Scream 6, it appears that Kirby Reed made it through. Apparently, there were plans to bring Panettiere back for the fifth movie, but she was relegated to some Easter Eggs instead.

Along with Hayden Panettiere, the Scream 6 cast seems like a good mix of new and returning actors. The cast is rounded out by Melissa Barrera, Mason Gooding, and Jenna Ortega, reprising their roles from the 2022 movie. Jack Champion, Liana Liberato, Devyn Nekoda, Josh Segarra, Henry Czerny, Samara Weaving, Tony Revolori, and Dermot Mulroney are also on board for the new movie. As mentioned, Neve Campell won’t be returning as Sidney Prescott. Reportedly, Campbell will not be returning to the franchise over contractual disputes. Hopefully, the production team will be able to work things out and bring back Campbell’s character. The good news is that Courtney Cox has confirmed her involvement in the film, so we’ll have an OG member of the first Scream along for the ride.

It’s been quite a long time since we’ve seen Hayden Panettiere on screen, so it’s great to see she’s returning to such a fan favorite role. Hayden Panettiere hasn’t graced our screens since 2018 when her TV series Nashville ended. We haven’t seen her in the Scream franchise since 2011. This seems like the perfect role to bring Hayden Panettiere back to the acting world with Scream 6. It seems like Panettiere is pumped for the role as well since she told Good Morning America that she actually went to the directing team and asked them herself if they wanted to bring back her character. Scream 6 has a solid team behind the scenes as well. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are directing with a script by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick. The film will be a direct sequel to 2022’s Scream and follow four survivors of the Ghostface killings moving from Woodsboro to New York City. You’ll be able to check out the latest entry to the franchise along with the return of Kirby Reed when Scream 6 hits theaters on March 31, 2023. While it’s disappointing that Neve Campbell may not return, the other fan-favorite characters should help make up for it.