Not even Ghostface could have seen this twist coming.
The “Scream” franchise lost two stars this week, posing a creative conundrum for the seventh film in the series, according to sources familiar with the project.
Variety broke the news that Melissa Barrera was fired in recent days by Spyglass, the film’s producer, over social media posts he deemed anti-Semitic (particularly posts about the Israel-Hamas war). This decision was made after the company was informed that Jenna Ortega, whose star has risen significantly since joining the popular Wes Craven horror series, would not be returning for the second season of her Netflix hit “Wednesday” due to a scheduling conflict. Barrera and Ortega play sisters in the films.
The backlash to Barrera’s ouster was intense, and the film’s director, Christopher Landon, responded to the events surrounding her departure. He posted and deleted a statement on X on Tuesday that read: “Everything sucks. Stop screaming. That wasn’t my decision.”
For some fans, it seemed like the planned sequel was collapsing in real time. But even before Barrera was fired, plans for the next “Scream” were revised. Ortega’s exit required some changes by the creative team, people with knowledge of the matter say, but there was still hope that the actress could be persuaded to return for some cameo appearance. That doesn’t seem to be an option anymore. Another source familiar with the franchise disputed this and said Ortega was never involved in the new film.
James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, the writers of the previous two Scream installments, will now be working on a new draft to present to the filmmakers. Some set pieces and twists may remain, but the film needs to find new protagonists. Ortega and Barrera have signed on for two “Scream” films and fulfilled those commitments with episodes five and six, another source noted. They would have needed new deals for the seventh chapter.
So who has to fight the masked killer? The Scream films feature a number of characters who are still alive or could be resurrected (it is a horror film, after all, and the beauty of Scream is that it doesn’t bury its dead too deeply). This includes Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox, the original stars of the series. Campbell appeared in 2022’s “Scream” but opted out of returning for 2023’s “Scream VI” due to a salary dispute. Producers are keen to see her reprise her iconic character Sidney Prescott. Another possibility could be Patrick Dempsey, who played a spectacular role in 2000’s Scream 3. None of these actors have yet been in active negotiations.
Spyglass had no comment.
The hope was that “Scream 7” would hit theaters in 2025. Even though the producers are essentially starting from scratch, this release date still seems feasible if Landon and the writers find another scary story to tell. “Scream” films do not require elaborate visual effects and can be produced quickly.
All it takes is one damn good idea.