Scream 7 star Neve Campbell and director Kevin Williamson recently spoke about Sidney Prescott’s return to the center of the story and how the long-running franchise continues to evolve.

Talking with Blavity’s Shadow and Act, Campbell said the upcoming installment brings the focus back to Sidney and her life today.

“We’re back to Sidney’s story,” Campbell said. “We’re back to really sort of engaging in where she’s at in her life and who she is now. And she’s now this new mama bear, and she’s a parent. She’s got a new life, and she’s got this family.”

She added that the film will also introduce a dynamic that connects different generations of fans.

“This family and this beautiful young woman who is quite astounding and strong and a very talented actress [Isabell May, who plays Sidney’s daughter, Tatum] is going to bring in and help connect that young audience to my story, and the two characters work beautifully together,” Campbell said.

Neve Campbell says Scream 7 centers on Sidney as a ‘mama bear’

Campbell emphasized that exploring Sidney as a parent adds a new layer to the character audiences have followed for decades.

By returning to Sidney’s perspective and her family life, the film shifts the focus back to the franchise’s original final girl while introducing a younger character who shares the screen with her.

Kevin Williamson explains how the franchise keeps reinventing itself

Williamson also spoke about how Scream has maintained its identity while continuing to feel fresh.

“I think one is tone and who you hire is the creative team behind it,” Williamson said, noting that Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett “really understood the DNA of the franchise” with the fifth and sixth films.

He also pointed to the series’ central mystery element as a defining feature.

“You don’t know who’s under the mask. Michael Myers is Michael. Jason Voorhees is Jason. This is a killer. You don’t know who’s under the mask. And there’s always a different killer, a different person with a different motive, and why they’re doing it. And so then allows you to create a story, a different story every time,” Williamson said.

Watch the full interview, which also includes Isabel May, above. Scream 7 is in theaters now.