David Arquette signed up for Scream 7 and a source exclusively tells In Touch he’s got ex-wife Courteney Cox largely to thank for the role, as she put her foot down with producers and insisted they give him a shot. 

The Friends alum, 60, has a lot of weight to throw around on the project since agreeing to reprise her role yet again. Having her back as Gale Weathers is giving some much needed stability to the project. “Rebuilding the Scream franchise from the ground up has been a huge part of Courteney’s life for the last year after the original plans for the seventh film imploded and the stars and director left the project,” the insider reveals. “Courteney has helped turn the re-imagined movie into a once-in-a-lifetime reunion of the classic 1996 original, bringing back Matthew Lillard and even her ex-husband David into the cast, despite the fact that their characters had been definitively killed off in previous installments.”

Courteney and David, 53, married in 1999 but ultimately called it quits in 2012. Their split ended with the former couple remaining close. The Shining Veil actress even told Ellen DeGeneres, “He’s my best friend in the world,” during an appearance shortly following the divorce. “I love him,” she added.

“Of course, Courteney and David still have a strong friendship,” the source adds. Courteney still has so much respect and care for her ex husband she fought to bring him back into the series. “They both see the Scream movies as a huge part of their careers and personal stories, but David would not be back in the cast if Courteney hadn’t insisted on it,” the insider explains.

David had previously discussed how dealing with his ex’s meteoric fame during the height of the Friends craze was “difficult” to deal with. “I want to like, provide and pick up the check and, you know, be the breadwinner,” he explained on Andy Cohen Live. “In the acting world, in general, you’re always going on this roller coaster of popularity and not able to get a job. So it’s like this weird thing. And then, when you’re comparing yourself to someone who’s at the top of the television iconic world, it’s kind of hard to put yourself there.”

While Courteney is certainly driving the push behind Scream 7, the insider notes she now also needs her ex husband.

“She needs him by her side to make the special tone and comedy of the Scream franchise work, especially now that the original ensemble is going to be back at the center of the story. As for how David comes back in the story, that’s been up to original Scream creator Kevin Williamson, who Courteney also personally pressed back into service to work on these movies,” the source says.

“She sees these films as a family affair and takes her work on this film in particular incredibly personally. It wouldn’t be a fulfilling experience for her if David wasn’t strongly featured and they couldn’t put their famous chemistry to the test once again.” 

“They’re finally getting underway with the filming, but It’s taken a full year of dealmaking to put this movie together. We’re about to see if all that work is actually going to pay off.”