One studio has learned that you don’t mess with the new sisters of Scream. Just hours after Melissa Barrera was fired from Scream VII for what the studio Spyglass labeled as “anti-Semitic” posts, actress Jenna Ortega has left the project.
THR confirms that Ortega will no longer appear in the seventh Scream film, which was already facing a limited amount of time with the actress due to her shooting schedule on Netflix’s Wednesday. However, the industry trade noted that Ortega “informed Scream studio Spyglass months ago, she did not intend to return.”
Barrera and Ortega have played sisters in the film since 2022’s Scream: Sam and Tara Carpenter. The two have been the central focus of the rebooted Scream movies, which began with Scream 5 and continued with the New York-set Scream VI. The latter was the first time Neve Campbell did not appear in one of these iconic slashers due to a pay dispute with the studio.
With Scream VII, Radio Silence has left the director’s chair with Happy Death Day filmmaker Christopher Landon taking over directing duties. Filming had not begun, and development had been slowed by the Hollywood strikes.
With these recent firings and quitting, it seems like it’s back to the drawing board for the Scream team.
Originally published November 22, 2023. Updated November 23, 2023.
