With a rejuvenated version of Scream 7 wrapping photography just one month ago, it seems we’ve come so far from the controversy that temporarily killed the franchise.
Following the tremendous success of 2022’s Scream and 2023’s Scream VI, the fandom was shocked in November 2023 when star Melissa Barrera was dropped from the project. The actress had made comments regarding the Isreal-Palestine conflict that initiated her dismissal.
Soon after, co-star Jenna Ortega left the project, citing scheduling conflicts with Wednesday. Her exit was swiftly followed by chosen director Christopher Landon.
Although Barrera has made some comments regarding the project’s reset, Ortega and Landon have remained quiet… until now.
Ortega recently opened up about her decision to leave Scream 7, and according to the actress, all that was reported wasn’t true:
“It had nothing to do with pay or scheduling. The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart.”
Ortega further elaborated that her wish to depart the project was primarily due to the withdrawal of filmmakers Radio Silence:
“If Scream VII wasn’t going to be with that team of directors and those people I fell in love with, then it didn’t seem like the right move for me in my career at the time.”
So, it seems quite evident that Ortega wasn’t willing to continue without the filmmaking team she knew and trusted. Of course, this lends weight to the heavy rumours that Ortega had exited Scream 7 “weeks” before the firing of her co-star.
As we await the final version of Scream 7 in February 2026, it seems we’re finally getting to the truth regarding what made the project fall apart to begin with.
