‘Scream VII’: What to Know After Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega’s Exits

The Scream franchise won’t be the same after Melissa Barrera‘s firing and Jenna Ortega‘s departure ahead of the seventh film.

Before the shocking dismissal, Scream became a horror staple spanning decades. The first film, which was released in 1996, focused on Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) as she faced off against numerous killers hiding their identity behind the Ghostface persona. The final girl received help from fellow OG Scream characters Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Dewey Riley (David Arquette), which led to the creation of three sequels in 1997, 2000 and 2011.

The franchise was revived nearly a decade after Scream 4 was released. This allowed Scream to bring in new protagonists Sam (Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Ortega). With the changes came surprising exits, such as Campbell’s decision to part ways with the franchise after filming the fifth installment due to failed salary negotiations.

The shakeups kept coming when news broke in November 2023 that Barrera being vocal about her support for Palestine amid conflict in the Middle East with Israel led to her being fired. That same month, Deadline reported Ortega will also exit due to a conflicting filming schedule with Netflix’s Wednesday.

Keep scrolling for everything to know about Scream VII:

Who Is Returning?

Before Barrera and Ortega’s departure, fans were expecting to see both reprise their roles. Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding are the remaining actors who make up the onscreen “Core Four” friend dynamic and were presumably set to return.

However, Brown confirmed in January 2024 that she hadn’t heard about her future with the franchise. “I haven’t gotten a call,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “If you want to ask Spyglass what they’re doing, you can.”

Since Sam’s boyfriend Danny (Tom Segarra) was left alive at the end of Scream VI, there was an assumption that he would remain part of the group. Segarra, for his part, confirmed that he had plans to play Danny in more installments of Scream.

Scream VI also left the door open for legacy characters such as Gale (Cox) and Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) to make appearances in the future, In October 2024, Cox confirmed that she would be making a return to the franchise. 

“I’m the longest running Scream queen, so I guess I can’t stop now,” she shared at the Inc. 5000 Conference. 

Panettiere has yet to share whether she will be participating in Scream VII.

Which Cast Members Will Not Be Coming Back?

Campbell, who was an OG Scream star, didn’t play Sidney in the sixth film. Despite outrage from devoted fans, it doesn’t appear that Campbell and the studio were able to reach an understanding about her salary, so she presumably won’t be coming back in Scream VII either.

Barrera was the second shocking exit from the Scream franchise. After her firing made headlines, production company Spyglass Media Group denied that Barrera’s pro-Palestine comments caused the decision.

“Spyglass’ stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech,” read their November 2023 statement to Variety.

Ortega will not be returning as well because of prior filming commitments.

Matthew Lillard, who played Stu in the original Scream movie, also shared he will not be in Scream VII.

“No, I’m not in the movie. Even if I was, I would lie … directly to your face. Until the day it came out, I would just lie to you,” he told Fandom in an interview in October 2024.

What Creative Shakeups Have Taken Place?

After Spyglass Media Group secured the rights to develop the fifth film, Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin were hired as directors on the project. The duo returned for Scream VI, but the next installment was set to be helmed by Christopher Landon, who is known for his involvement with Happy Death Day and Freaky. However, Landon announced in late December 2023 that he has left the project.

“I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited Scream 7 weeks ago,” Landon shared via X (formerly known as Twitter). “This will disappoint some and delight others. It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart did break for everyone involved. Everyone. But it’s time to move on. I have nothing more to add to the conversation other than I hope Wes [Anderson’s] legacy thrives and lifts above the din of a divided world. What he and Kevin [Williamson] created is something amazing and I was honored to have even the briefest moment basking in their glow.”

Where Did the Story Leave Off?

Scream VI focused on Sam’s state of mind as she wrestled with the revelation that she is the daughter of the first Ghostface killer, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich). Reddit trolls started to theorize that Sam was the person murdering her loved ones because of her father’s murderous past. Sam was able to find a way to come to terms with her dad being a killer while refusing to go down the same path.

Meanwhile, Sam’s sister, Tara, tried to leave the past behind after their move to New York City. By the end of the sixth film, Tara found love with her friend Chad (Gooding).

Which Fan Theories Could Be Addressed?

The popular fan theory that one of the original Ghostface killers Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard) wasn’t actually dead has been brought up many times since the franchise was revived. Lillard has enthusiastically supported the idea of him coming back in some capacity, and Scream VI kept that option open.

What Does Melissa Barrera’s Exit Mean for Sam?

Before her firing, Barrera discussed where she would like to see Sam’s story go.

“That’s one of the reasons that, when I read the script for Scream 5, I was so interested in the character. There’s so much potential here of where she could go with her mental health — she’s just unpredictable,” the actress told Digital Spy in June 2023. “I find that that darkness in her makes her that much more interesting to play and to watch.”

Barrera continued: “She’s the hero but she’s also kind of the villain. It’s this contradiction in her that I find fascinating and, if we get to do another one, I would love to see. The writers have done a really good job with her up until this point, so I trust them just to know where to take her [in a way] that will be unexpected and cool for the fans.”