Christopher Landon is the only major member of the “Scream 7” production to have directly commented on Melissa Barrera’s firing thus far, but another major shift in the film’s production has already occurred. In the wake of the incident, Deadline reported that Jenna Ortega, who stars in “Scream 6” alongside Barrera, will not return for “Scream 7.”
Deadline suggested that Ortega’s exit from the film is not a response to Barrera’s firing, but rather a result of scheduling conflicts with the actor’s other major projects, including “Wednesday” Season 2. Nonetheless, some users have noted that Ortega previously made social media posts in support of Palestine, with a 2022 tweet from her now-deactivated X account reading “Decolonize Palestine.” With both Barrera and Ortega now seemingly out of the “Scream” franchise, it still remains to be seen whether the latter makes any official comment in support of her former co-star.
Meanwhile, Spyglass Media released a full statement to Variety regarding its decision, in which it takes a hardline stance against Barrera’s comments. “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.”
