Next bombshell for Scream: Jenna Ortega is also no longer part of the horror series for the time being. We explain what’s going on behind the scenes of the franchise
Events are coming thick and fast for the horror series Scream: A few hours ago, it was announced that the production studio Spyglass was parting ways with lead actress Melissa Barrera, who had played the character Sam Carpenter in two films. This was due to controversial social media posts about the Israel-Hamas war that the actress had published on her Instagram profile. Find out more background information here.
Now the well-informed industry publication Deadline is reporting that Barrera’s film partner Jenna Ortega will also not be taking part in the upcoming Scream 7. However, her departure has nothing to do with the situation surrounding Barrera. There had already been speculation at X about Ortega s solidarity action. According to the report, this expressly does not correspond to reality. In its article, the Hollywood Reporter refers to its own sources who confirm this.
Why is Jenna Ortega dropping out of Scream 7?
(Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega in Scream)
Jenna Ortega will not be able to participate in the filming of Scream 7 because the production schedule conflicts with the Netflix series Wednesday, according to reports. This scenario had already been discussed in Hollywood before the actors’ strike. The fact that Ortega will not be in Scream 7 does not mean that she is leaving the series for good. A return is possible, just not in Scream 7. Jenna Ortega had played Barrera’s film sister Tara Carpenter.
What’s next for Scream?
Within less than 24 hours, a shambles has unfolded in front of Scream executives. With Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, the series has lost its current centerpiece. Whether the rest of the cast can make up for the double loss seems more than questionable at this stage. Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown are all that remain of the cast that relaunched the cult series in 2021.
The film is to be directed by Christopher Landon (Freaky, Disturbia). On Barrera’s ouster, he said on X: “This is my statement: Everything sucks. Stop screaming. That was not my decision.” He later deleted the post.
Scream 7 does not yet have an official theatrical release date. Work on the project was recently interrupted due to the screenwriters’ and actors’ strike in Hollywood. There is also still no finished script for the film. As planning continues, the question now arises: What can a Scream film look like without the two regular leading actresses? And, ultimately, does it even make sense to continue the successful series under these circumstances?
