Following yesterday's shock announcement that Scream star Melissa Barrera had been dropped from the franchise, Deadline have exclusively reported today that co-lead Jenna Ortega is no longer expected to return to her role as Tara Carpenter in Scream VII.
Deadline report that Ortega's departure from the slasher series "has nothing to do with the fallout from Melissa Barrera‘s firing yesterday by Spyglass Media over that actress’ social media repostings on the Hamas-Israel conflict", and instead that Ortega will no longer be returning due to scheduling conflicts surrounding the shooting of the second season of Wednesday. Ortega's decision not to return was reportedly discussed before the actor's strike which ended earlier this month.
Deadline also note that the upcoming sequel to Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, in which Ortega is starring, post SAG-AFTRA strike had a few extra days of shooting in order to meet its Labor Day 2024 theatrical release.
Scream VII is set to be directed by Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, Freaky) for Spyglass and Paramount, with Scream and Scream VI directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Radio Silence) remaining on board as executive producers. A script for Scream VII is reportedly not ready yet.
The rest of Scream's 'Core Four', Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding, have yet to comment, and the future of the sequel remains uncertain.
We'll bring you more updates on this developing story as and when we get them.
