Just one day after it was announced that Spyglass Media Group had fired Scream 7 star Melissa Barrera, her co-star and on-screen sister Jenna Ortega was also fired. He withdrew from the film due to scheduling conflicts, according to the deadlines.
The loss of its two female leads is a big problem in the seventh installment of the series, especially considering the star power of Ortega alone, who gained fame through roles in horror films and Netflix Wednesday.
Considering how the new movies will turn out to be Barrera’s Sam Carpenter and Ortega’s Tara Carpenter, the creative team will have to make some changes if they hope to be successful…
Why Did Jenna Ortega Leave Scream?
Jenna Ortega has dropped out of “Scream 7” due to her “Wednesday” Season 2 shooting schedule, Variety has confirmed. The news of her exit comes one day after her co-star Melissa Barrera was fired from the horror movie due to Barrera’s social media posts about Israel and Palestine.
Ortega’s departure was not affected by Barrera’s firing and had been in effect for months before the SAG-AFTRA strike began. A production date for “Wednesday” season two has yet to be determined. Ortega has several days left to finish Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice 2,” which has faced sanctions from the Screen Actors Guild and Television Exchange Association.
Ortega and Barrera star as sisters Tara and Sam Carpenter in the 2022 reboot of Scream and this year’s sequel, Scream VI. They’re teaming up with returning stars to revive the dormant horror franchise, with director Christopher Landon announcing Scream 7 earlier this year.
Barrera was fired from “Scream 7” on Tuesday after posting social media posts supporting Palestine in the ongoing conflict with Israel. “Scream” producer Spyglass Media Group said in a statement to Variety, “Spyglass’ position is clear: We do not tolerate anti-Semitism and any kind of incitement to hatred, including lies about genocide, genocide, genocide, Holocaust denigration, or any other act.”
It was a clear violation of the boundaries of hate speech. Barrera posted posters accusing Israel of “genocide and ethnic cleansing” and repeated a quote from the Jewish Current magazine about inciting “the Holocaust to promote Israel’s weapons industry.”
After Barrera was fired, Landon posted and deleted a comment on X on Tuesday that read: “Everything is bad. Don’t shout. This is not my decision.”
The Fate of Season 7
Without Ortega and Barrera, the team has a dark day ahead of them. In the last two movies, the audience sees Ghostface look after Sam and Tara, and Sam has to deal with her dark history as the mysterious daughter of one of the killers of the first movie.
In addition to the absence of Sam and Tara, Arquette’s Dewey Riley will also be missing from the upcoming series, as he died in 2022’s Scream. Likewise, Campbell may not return. Since the split for Scream 6, Cox will be the only original cast member.
The new director, Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day franchise), replacing Gillette and Bettinelli-Olpin, is undoubtedly in trouble. Scream 7 has yet to reveal its release date. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Reactions from Fans
Many fans expressed their doubts about the timing of Ortega’s departure. “Coincidence, and he himself is supporting Palestine?! Get it right!!!” Another fan added, “Her schedule conflicts with Scream have been in the news for months, so this is nothing new.
But the day after Melissa Barrera was wrongly fired, when he announced his departure, it seemed too appropriate to be accidental. Don’t tell the whole story.” Some questioned the sudden announcement, saying it was an attempt to cover up Ortega’s decision to leave the team after Varela’s firing.
One fan commented: “I don’t know about the scheduling conflict. It’s a good thing that he decided to quit the movie after his friend and co-star Melissa Barrera was wrongly fired.”
Another fan said, ‘They confirmed the schedule the day after Melissa Barrera was fired. This is just a coincidence.” Among the accusations, one fan simply said: ‘Screaming is normal without Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera.’
Producers are Now Hoping to Bring Back Original Scream Star Neve Campbell
On Wednesday, Variety reported that Spyglass is writing a new direction for Scream 7, with producers looking to bring back the series’ original star, Neve Campbell.
Campbell played Sidney Prescott in five “Scream” films but declined to star in “Scream 6” due to a salary dispute.
According to Variety, Spyglass is also interested in bringing back “Grey’s Anatomy” star Patrick Dempsey. Dempsey plays Detective Mark Kincaid in “Scream 3.” In Scream 5, it is indicated that Sidney and Mark are in a relationship and have children.
