Thirty years after the original slasher movie opened in theaters, “Scream 7” debuted with a franchise-best $64.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The bigger-than-expected opening is a win for Paramount, which on Friday announced its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

In a so-far sluggish 2026 at the box office, “Scream 7” managed the best debut of the year, easily displacing last weekend’s champ, the Stephen Curry-produced animated film “GOAT,” from Sony Pictures.

“Scream 7,” which cost $45 million to make, got a boost from the return of Neve Campbell, as Sidney Prescott. The actor sat out 2023’s “Scream VI,” but was drawn back for the seventh film by a reported $7 million payday. Original cast members Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Matthew Lillard also co-star.

“Scream VI” had set a new high (not accounting for inflation) for the franchise with a $44.4 million launch. That film starred Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, along with series regulars. But in 2023, Barrera was dropped from the seventh film by the film’s production company, Spyglass Media Group, after making comments on the Israel-Hamas war that some deemed antisemitic. Ortega subsequently dropped out of the film.

Kevin Williamson, who wrote the 1996 original and many of the following chapters, stepped into direct, retooling the film around Campbell and company. In the film, Sidney and her 17-year-old daughter are haunted by Ghostface in the suburban community of Pine Grove.

Reviews were poor (34% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and audience scores (a “B-” CinemaScore) also weren’t great.

But the overperformance of “Scream 7,” which added $33.1 million overseas, gave Paramount more to celebrate on a potentially historic weekend for the studio. On Friday, its parent company, Paramount Skydance, announced its intention to merge with Warner Bros. Discovery after Netflix dropped out of negotiations. The deal, which forms a Hollywood colossus and remakes the media landscape, awaits regulatory approval.

For Josh Goldstine, president of global marketing and distribution at Paramount, the launch of “Scream 7” signaled a new beginning for Paramount, which last year completed an $8 billion merger with David Ellison’s Skydance. Following that merger, Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, co-chairs, took the reigns of Paramount Pictures.

“This is the first time that the new Paramount team has gotten their arms around a movie, not necessarily from the production side but from the marketing and distribution side,” said Goldstine. “It’s really an exciting time for the new Paramount.”

Goldstine declined to address the merger with Warner Bros. But he attributed the success of “Scream 7” — the rare franchise to keep growing so many films in — to the studio’s commitment to exhibition. In opposing Netflix’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, Ellison trumpeted the studio’s dedication to theatrical, pledging a minimum 45-day theatrical window for films.

“It’s really about the passion for the theatrical marketplace that exists at Paramount right now and the desire that we wanted to show the culture and the world why we love, and what we can do, with theatrical movies,” Goldstine said of the “Scream 7” opening.

“Scream 7” benefited significantly from IMAX screens and premium format screens, something no previous “Scream” movie had on opening. Shaun Barber, head of domestic distribution for Paramount, noted that 40% of the film’s business over the weekend was on premium format screens.

“The film’s success speaks to the strength of the brand and Ghostface’s staying power as an iconic villain,” said Barber. “When you put that on the biggest screens in the country, audiences are even more excited to watch it together.”

After claiming the top spot in its second weekend, “GOAT” dropped to second place with $12 million in its third weekend. It’s so far accumulated $74 million domestically. “Wuthering Heights,” Emerald Fennell’s Emily Brontë adaptation, fell to third place with $7 million in its third weekend. Its three-week haul stands at $72.3 million.

The only new release to make a dent in theaters was the concert film “Twenty One Pilots: More Than We Ever Imagined.” Distributed by Trafalgar Releasing, it opened with $3.7 million in 836 theaters. Another concert film also continues to perform well: “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert.” The Baz Luhrmann “Elvis” addendum added 1,615 theaters after a strong debut last week. The Neon release collected $3.5 million, pushing its two-week gross to $7.8 million.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. “Scream 7,” $64.1 million.

2. “GOAT,” $12 million.

3. “Wuthering Heights,” $7 million.

4. “Twenty One Pilots: More Than We Ever Imagined,” $3.7 million.

5. “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert,” $3.5 million.

6. “Crime 101,” $3.4 million.

7. “I Can Only Imagine 2,” $3.1 million.

8. “Send Help,” $2.8 million.

9. “How to Make a Killing,” $1.6 million.

10. “Zootopia 2,” $1.4 million.