Hayden Panettiere will make her return to the big screen as Kirby Reed, reprising her role from Scream 4 (2011), it was announced today by Spyglass Media and Paramount Pictures. Panettiere joins previously announced returning cast members Melissa Barrera (“Sam,”) Jasmin Savoy Brown (“Mindy,”) Mason Gooding (“Chad,”) and Jenna Ortega (“Tara”). Principal photography is slated to start this summer.

Fans have been dying (not literally, mind you) for the character of Kirby Reed to make a return since it was announced that we were going to get a fifth installment. Of course, Kirby Reed did not make an appearance in the most recent SCREAM, which made some fans sad. The news that Kirby Reed will be back with all of her gumption and sass is news well met, I’m sure, by many!

Panettiere is well-known for her roles on the hit television series “Heroes” (NBC) and “Nashville” (ABC) and starring in such films as Custody alongside Viola Davis, The Forger, with Josh Hutcherson and Remember the Titans opposite Denzel Washington. Panettiere’s other major film credits include I Love You Beth Cooper, Bring It On: All or Nothing, and Ice Princess.

The Scream saga continues with the four survivors of the Ghostface killings as they leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.

At the helm are Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Scream, Ready or Not) with James Vanderbilt (Scream, Murder Mystery) & Guy Busick (Scream, Ready or Not) co-writing the screenplay. Project X Entertainment’s Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein and William Sherak are serving as producers (Scream, Ambulance). Creator Kevin Williamson and the third member of Radio Silence, Chad Villella, are executive producing alongside Spyglass’ Gary Barber and Peter Oillataguerre, Ron Lynch, Cathy Konrad and Marianne Maddalena. Fans can expect the next SCREAM to release in theatres worldwide on March 31, 2023.

After celebrating the franchise’s 25th Anniversary, SCREAM [2022] earned a “Certified Fresh” score from Rotten Tomatoes and went on to gross more than $140 million in worldwide box office, to date. Directed by Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett and written by Vanderbilt & Busick from characters created by Williamson, the horror film’s cast included: Melissa Barrera, Kyle Gallner, Mason Gooding, Mikey Madison, Dylan Minnette, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Marley Shelton, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sonia Ammar with Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Neve Campbell. Project X’s Vanderbilt, Neinstein and Sherak served as producers alongside executive producers Williamson, Villella, Barber, Oillataguerre, Lynch, Konrad and Maddalena. SCREAM 2022 is available now on Digital, 4k Ultra HD and Blu-ray and is currently streaming on Paramount +.

Scream is a long-running genre busting horror franchise, which previously generated four feature films including Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), Scream 3, (2000) and Scream 4 (2011), directed by famed “maestro of horror,” the late Wes Craven. Scream 1-4 went on to gross more than $600 million in worldwide box office receipts. Williamson wrote the original film as well as Scream 2 and Scream 4.

Panettiere is represented by Mainstay Entertainment.