Jenna Ortega reveals real reason for leaving ‘Scream 7’
Jenna Ortega has opened up on her exit from Scream 7, revealing the real reason she decided to step away from the project.
In 2023, Scream 5 and 6 lead actress Melissa Barrera was unceremoniously fired from Scream 7 after posting on Instagram in support of Palestine. Following her removal from the project, co-lead Jenna Ortega also announced she would not be returning due to other scheduling commitments.
Now, Ortega has revealed that her exit wasn’t exactly due to scheduling issues. Instead, she chalks up her exit to the project “falling apart” with Barrera’s firing and Scream 6 directors Tyler Gillet and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin also leaving the film.
“It had nothing to do with pay or scheduling,” Ortega said, speaking to The Cut. “The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart. If Scream 7 wasn’t going to be with that team of directors and those people I fell in love with, then it didn’t seem like the right move for me in my career at the time.”
Following Ortega’s and Barrera’s exit, it was confirmed that Neve Campbell – who did not appear for Scream 6 due to “pay discrepancies” – would return to lead Scream 7. Additionally, it was finally locked in that directing the upcoming film will be the franchise’s creator Kevin Williamson. Williamson’s attachment comes after a string of filmmakers dropped out of the film.
Scream 7 is scheduled for release February 27, 2026. Matthew Lillard will join franchise regulars Courtney Cox and Neve Campbell. Details behind Lillard’s return are being kept under wraps, as his character presumably died at the end of the original Scream film.
Recently, another past character was reported to be returned – David Arquette’s Dewey, who will be joining the new film despite having been killed in 2022’s Scream.
Scream 6 scored a four-star review, with Alex Flood writing for NME: “Scream VI isn’t perfect: the constant meta references (past killers, the ‘rules’ of the franchise) felt inventive in last year’s reboot, but here grow tiresome. There’s also a confusing subplot around Sam’s suppressed desire to emulate her dad (Billy Loomis, the original Ghostface), who appears in hallucinations telling her to murder people. Throw in the usual exposition sessions, which keep the viewer up to date on the plot but make it feel like a Gen Z Poirot, and it could all start to get on your nerves. Luckily, such is the sheer, bloody joy of the thing that you’ll be too preoccupied to notice. Maybe more horror baddies should move to New York?”
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Surej Singh
NME
