Another key actor is leaving the Scream franchise. Jenna Ortega, who played Tara Carpenter in the previous two Scream movies, is no longer anticipated to return for Scream VII, according to reports released on Wednesday by Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter.
The news comes a day after Variety and The Hollywood Reporter reported that Melissa Barrera, her costar and on-screen sister, had been kicked out of the film’s cast over her social media posts criticizing the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Is Jenna Ortega leaving the Scream franchise?
Deadline claims that there is no connection between 21-year-old Ortega’s departure from the film and the firing of 33-year-old Barrera. Furthermore, it is untrue to speculate on the internet that Ortega is asking to be released from her contract with Scream.
According to the report, Ortega will not be appearing in the next Scream movie, which does not yet have a script. This is because she is currently filming Wednesday’s second season on Netflix and finishing up production on Beetlejuice 2.
When PEOPLE asked for comment, Ortega and Spyglass representatives did not immediately reply.
Spyglass’s stance on the removal of Melissa Barrera
The studio behind Scream VII, Spyglass, reaffirmed its stance on Barrera’s termination in a statement sent to PEOPLE on Tuesday.
The studio made a point of taking a strong stand against antisemitism and hate in general, including overt references to ethnic cleansing, genocide, the Holocaust, and other acts that are hate speech.
Barrera’s representatives have not replied to PEOPLE’s requests for comment as of Tuesday.
Noteworthy is the fact that Barrera and Ortega were supposed to play Samantha and Tara, the new leads in the franchise, with series star Neve Campbell missing Scream VI because of a contract dispute.
Scream 7 is in the works
According to reports from Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter, a seventh Scream movie is formally in development.
The upcoming sequel will be directed by seasoned horror director Christopher Landon, who is best known for his work on Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014), Freaky (2020), and Happy Death Day (2017).
The news comes after the triumph of Scream VI, which debuted in March and set a record for the franchise’s highest opening weekend box office. Interestingly, Scream VI is the first Scream movie to earn more than $100 million at home since Scream 2 in 1997.
Radio Silence, a duo consisting of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, directed both Scream VI and the 2022 episode of Scream. After Wes Craven, the franchise’s creator, passed away in 2015, they assumed control of it.
Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, and Scream series veteran Courteney Cox were among the ensemble cast members. In Scream VI, Hayden Panettiere from Scream 4 returned. Neve Campbell and David Arquette made an appearance in the fifth Scream, but Campbell was not back for the sixth episode because of contractual obligations.
Campbell’s return to Scream is in question
Neve Campbell, 49, who is best known for playing Sidney Prescott in every Scream film except the sixth, said last year that she had to make a “very difficult decision” to leave the role because of a disagreement over a contract.
She conveyed her opinion that the offer that was made did not fairly reflect the value she had brought to the franchise over twenty years.
Although Campbell expressed doubts about the possibility of such an arrangement, she stressed that it would require a different approach and attitude and stated that she would consider a return if the proper offer came along.
“If they approached me with a figure that felt appropriate, respectful, and reflective of the value I’ve contributed to the franchise, I would be open to considering [a return in the future],” she said.
“We’d never give up on her,” director Bettinelli-Olpin expressed to The Hollywood Reporter in March regarding their desire to work with Campbell again. Both Neve and Sidney are loved by us. Therefore, we’re not giving up and would love to work with her again on a movie.”
