In the same week that Jenna Ortega discussed her shock exit from Scream 7, we’ve also heard from first-choice director Christopher Landon.
Shortly after the firing of star Melissa Barrera, and the announcement of Ortega’s exit, Landon left the project in December 2023. At the time, Landon issued a brief statement, saying only Scream 7 was “a dream project that became a nightmare.”
Since then, Landon has largely remained silent on his exit. However, the filmmaker has offered his support to all involved in the recently-completed retooled Scream 7.
Recently, whilst promoting his new film Drop, Landon finally addressed his exit from Scream 7, and as it turns out, things were much darker for Landon than we were ever led to believe.
Following the firing of actress Melissa Barrera from Scream 7, Landon has stated that his life began to fall apart. The filmmaker has opened up about how he and his family received death threats following Barrera’s dismissal. Things got so bad for Landon and his family, that the FBI was eventually involved.
“People were threatening to kill me and my family, to the point where the FBI was getting involved,” he said. “I got messages saying, ‘I’m going to find your kids, and I’m going to kill them because you support child murder.’ The head of security at various studios and the FBI had to examine the threats. It was highly aggressive and really scary.”
Landon also notes how the discourse was misplaced, as he had no hand in the firing of Barrera:
“I did not fire her. A lot of people think I had something to do with it, and it was not my doing. I had no control of the situation at all. I think in the absence of people understanding how Hollywood works and what the hierarchy is, the fans were like, ‘that’s the guy.’ And so, they came for me, knives out.”
However, despite the disruption, Spyglass Media Group wanted Landon to remain with the project, believing he was the right fit. However, Landon chose to prioritise the safety of his family, and reluctantly withdrew.
As we know now, the exit of Christopher Landon triggered a “creative reboot” for Scream 7, with creator Kevin Williamson at the helm. With the film in the can and set to release next year, Landon states he has nothing but love for all involved in the rebooted project:
“I still adore Scream, and will be there on opening night to see Scream 7!”
