In a surprising turn of events, actress Jenna Ortega has decided to drop out of Scream franchise’s upcoming seventh installment a day after co-star Melissa Barrera’s controversial axing due to her pro-Palestine stance.
Melissa Barrera was controversially let go by Spyglass Media due to her social media repostings on the Hamas-Israel conflict. However, Ortega’s departure is not linked to Barrera’s firing or any request to terminate her Scream contract.
Contrary to recent controversy surrounding the removal of Melissa Barrera from the film, Ortega’s decision to exit ‘Scream VII’ was reportedly under discussion before the actor’s strike. Jenna Ortega, who was instrumental in securing the best opening grosses ever for Scream VI, has cited scheduling conflicts and other commitments as reasons for her departure.
Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera played sisters in the 2022’s Scream and its sequel Scream VI. Sources indicate that Ortega’s exit was already in consideration before the recent events, with factors such as her commitment to shooting the second season of Netflix’s Wednesday in Ireland from April into the summer contributing to the decision.
The script for Scream VII is yet to be finalized, and Jenna Ortega’s tight schedule has played a significant role in her departure.
Christopher Landon, the newly appointed director for Scream VII, briefly addressed the situation on Twitter, stating,
This is my statement: 💔 Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make.
The tweet was later removed, leaving fans curious about the dynamics surrounding the latest installment of the iconic horror franchise.
