A legal dispute over the rights to the Ghostface mask in the Scream movie franchise could potentially affect Scream 7‘s release date.
What lawsuit could potentially impact Scream 7’s release?
This week, a lawsuit was filed in California federal court by Spyglass and Paramount Pictures (via THR). The two companies are suing Alterian Ghost Factory, a Los Angeles-based special effects studio whom are claiming they have ownership of the iconic Ghostface mask. Spyglass and Paramount’s lawsuit is seeking the court to order that Alterian can’t sue them.
The lawsuit notes that Alterian intentionally slept on its purported rights in the iconic ‘Ghostface’ mask used throughout the Scream franchise for thirty years,” while Alterian’s lawyer Brian Wheeler mentioned in an email to THR that they will be filing their own complaint, and that it will “speak for itself.”
The history of the Ghostface mask is a complicated one. Infamously, the mask was found by a producer of the original film in a home in California while scouting for locations. The production team subsequently licensed the use of it from Fun World, a costume company that had been making the mask in the 1990s. Alterian Ghost Factory’s argument is that Fun World has no right to license the mask, and notes that they actually created the original design of the mask.
Paramount and Spyglass’ argument is that Alterian gave up any potential right to that claim, as they hadn’t taken any action toward it in the 30 years of the franchise existing. Alterian did send letters to Fun World in 2024 asserting they owned the original rights to the mask, but Fun World alleged that it worked with a Hong Kong sculptor to create a new line of masks.
As of now, it’s unclear what impact, if any, this lawsuit will have on Scream 7’s release date. The movie is set to release on February 27, 2026, and at least as of now, it doesn’t seem like the film will be impacted barring some sort of change by the courts.
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