Roughly one month after the announcement that the allegedly forthcoming Scream VII had lost both its stars Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, director Christopher Landon has revealed that he has also departed the franchise.
“I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited Scream 7 weeks ago,” the director shared on Twitter/X Saturday afternoon. “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’ legacy thrives and lifts above the din of a divided world. What he and Kevin created is something amazing and I was honored to have even the briefest moment basking in their glow.”
The film generated headlines days before Thanksgiving when news broke that Barerra had been fired from the production following a number of pro-Palestinian posts. (At the time, Landon had quickly tweeted and deleted, “Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make.”) The next day, news broke that Ortega had also left the production months earlier but hadn’t publicly shared the news. At the time, The Hollywood Reporter cited a salary dispute as her reason for leaving.
The previous installment—the New York City-set Scream VI—was the first entry into the franchise not to include Neve Campbell as original final girl Sydney Prescott. Campbell shared in June 2022 that she had also left the franchise after feeling that her proposed salary did not match the value she brought to the franchise. Days after news of Barrera and Ortega’s exits became public, Variety reported that Campell and Scream 3 co-star Patrick Dempsey were being eyed for a return in Scream VII. However, now without a director, it looks like the production will be back at square one.