The Scream franchise’s actors are dropping like flies; not because Ghostface is wiping them out one by one, but because of a seemingly politically and contractually fuelled clash with the studio.
On Wednesday (November 22) Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Jenna Ortega, would not be reprising her leading role of Tara Carpenter for Scream VII.
The bombshell news follows unexpected updates of her costar and onscreen sister, Melissa Barrera, being fired because of her Instagram posts, where she called out media bias over the geopolitical situation in Gaza, Palestine, as per Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.
Jenna Ortega just dropped out of the Scream franchise, as a result of filming schedule conflicts
Image credits: jennaortega
Despite Deadline reporting that Jenna’s exit from the franchise was unrelated to Melissa’s termination, rumors online have circulated since last night, with many suggesting that the 21-year-old actress had asked to be let go from her contract in support of Melissa.
Subsequently, Jenna will not star in the next Scream, which reportedly still needs a finalized script.
Image credits: IMDB
The official reasoning behind the actress’ unexpected departure from the franchise implies her busy filming schedule on the second season of Netflix's Wednesday and wrapping up filming for Beetlejuice 2, People reported.
Jenna is reportedly busy with Netflix's upcoming second season on Wednesday and wrapping up filming for Beetlejuice 2
Image credits: jennaortega
Spyglass, the studio behind Scream VII, said in a statement that its position was “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.”
Melissa, who has been outspoken about her Mexican heritage and the history of her country’s colonization, has been critical of the current Israel-Hamas conflict, often posting stories on her Instagram page highlighting the thousands of deaths in Gaza, as recorded by the United Nations.
Her outspokenness has earned her online praise, as she recently reportedly posted a Palestinian flag and her native country Mexico with the caption: "I too come from a colonized country" / "Palestine WILL be free" while quoting a famous line from Greek poet Dinos Christianopoulos: "They tried to bury us, they didn't know we were seeds."
People believe Jenna exited the franchise to support costar Melissa Barrera, who was fired over her comments about the current geopolitical conflict in the Middle East
Image credits: melissabarreram
In the statement that prompted her firing, the 33-year-old actress posted on her Instagram story: "I have been actively looking for videos and information about the Palestinian side for the last 2 weeks or so, following accounts etc.
“Why? Because western media only shows the other side.
“Why they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself.
“Usually the algorithm on social media gets the gist.
“Well... My discover page on IG will ONLY show me videos showing and talking about the Israeli side.
“Censorship is very real.
“Palestinians know this, they know the world has been trying to make them invisible for decades. Keep sharing."
"I too come from a colonized country" / "Palestine WILL be free," Melissa previously wrote
Image credits: melissabarreram
Christopher Landon, Scream 7’s director, has since issued a statement about Melissa’s sacking on X (formerly known as Twitter): “Everything sucks. Stop yelling.
“This was not my decision to make.”
Image credits: Paramount Pictures
Image credits: IMDB
Jenna and Melissa's characters Samantha and Tara were Scream’s new leads.
The franchise’s original star, Neve Campbell, did not appear in this year's Scream VI as a result of a dispute over her contract.
Image credits: IMDB
Back in June of 2022, Neve announced her decision not to reprise her role as Sidney Prescott in Scream VI because she felt “the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise,” Variety reported.
According to People, Scream VI, released in March, scored the franchise's biggest opening weekend at the box office, becoming the series' first entry to cross the $100 million mark domestically since 1997's Scream 2.
Many Scream fans praised Jenna's alleged political integrity
