The Big Picture
- Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega's departure from Scream 7 is a huge setback for the franchise.
- Barrera's firing from the film was a result of her pro-Palestinian stance, which she stood by despite the consequences.
- With the absence of Barrera, Ortega, and other key cast members, the fate of Scream 7 is uncertain, leaving the new director in a difficult position.
Just one day after it was revealed that Spyglass Media Group had canned Scream franchise star, Melissa Barrera from Scream 7, her co-star and on-screen sister, Jenna Ortega, is making her own exit from the film, reportedly due to schedule conflicts according to Deadline. Losing both of their leading ladies will be a devastating blow to the seventh installment in the franchise, especially with the star power specifically wielded by Ortega, who has risen to prominence through her role in the slasher films and Netflix’s Wednesday. Seeing as how the new batch of movies has been set around Barrera’s Sam Carpenter and Ortega’s Tara Carpenter, the creative team will need to do an extreme pivot if they have any hopes of making things work.
Barrera was axed from Scream 7 due to her pro-Palestinian stance, which she has voiced on her social media accounts since the conflict between Israel and Palestine began. In the post that started it all, Barrera drew comparisons to her background as a proud Mexican woman as she, too, was coming from “a colonized country.” Lobbying for Palestine to gain its full independence, she went on to write, “Palestine WILL be free,” adding that she had hoped to use her platform as a place to amplify the voices hushed by “Western media.” Standing fiercely by her comments even after she was fired from Scream 7 and showing no signs of backing down, yesterday Barrera added a post that said, “At the end of the day I’d rather be excluded for who I include than included for who I exclude.”
Barrera and Ortega first made their way into the fan-favorite franchise in 2022’s Scream which breathed new life into the films first made famous by stars like Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette. While the helmer of the first four titles, Wes Craven passed away in 2015, the torch was picked up by Ready or Not directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin. Along with Barrera and Ortega, the new films included the return of the original trio as well as Hayden Panettiere reprising her role as Kirby Reed. Joining Barrera and Ortega to fill out a group of friends known as “The Core Four” are Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding.
The Fate of Scream 7
CloseWith Ortega and Barrera both out, the franchise is facing some dark days ahead. Over the last two films, audiences have watched as Ghostface set his sights on Sam and Tara, while Sam also comes to grips with her dark history as the secret daughter of one of the first film’s killers. In addition to missing Sam and Tara, the upcoming installment would also be bereft of Arquette’s Dewey Riley as he was killed off in 2022’s Scream. Likewise, it’s unlikely that Campbell will return following payment discrepancies over Scream VI, leaving only Cox as an original member of the crew. Stepping in for Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin, fresh director Christopher Landon (the Happy Death Day franchise) is undoubtedly stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Scream 7 has yet to reveal a release date. Stay tuned to Collider for more information as it becomes available.
Scream 6
RHorrorMysteryThrillerIn the next installment, the survivors of the Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City.
Release Date March 10, 2023 Director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin , Tyler Gillett Cast Melissa Barrera , Courteney Cox , Jenna Ortega , Jasmin Savoy Brown , Mason Gooding , Hayden Panettiere Runtime 123 minutes Main Genre HorrorncG1vNJzZmibn6G5qrDEq2Wcp51kt6a6zZpkqKqkmrSiedCuoK2rXaiws7HApmRwZw%3D%3D