Summary

Jenna Ortega speaks out on Melissa Barrera’s firing fromScream 7. Barrera and Ortega starred in 2022’sScream, as well as the follow-upScream 6. Barrera and Ortega played sisters Sam and Tara Carpenter, respectively, who are stalked by Ghostface.Neither Carpenter sister will be returning for the upcoming seventh movie, ending theirScreamfranchisetenure.

Speaking withVanity Fair,Ortega addresses Barrera’s firing fromScream 7.Ortega notes that the film and TV industry is so “touchy-feely” with everyone wanting to “be politically correct.” TheWednesdaystar sees the downside of this as being that industry professionals “lose a lot of [their] humanity and integrity” due to political correctness. Check out the full quote from Ortega below:

The business that we work in is so touchy-feely. Everybody wants to be politically correct, but I feel like, in doing that, we lose a lot of our humanity and integrity, because it lacks honesty. I wish that we had a better sense of conversation. Imagine if everyone could say what they felt and not be judged for it and, if anything, it sparked some sort of debate, not an argument.

Barrera’s Scream 7 Firing Explained

Her Firing Remains Controversial

Barrera’sfiring fromScream 7was announced in late 2023. Her ousting was not for conventional reasons of misbehavior or other potential hitches. Rather, Barrera was removed from the production in reaction tosocial media posts that were pro-Palestinian. The production company, Spyglass, took this commentary as anti-Semitic, stating they “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.”

Though a number of people reject Barrera’s statements, herScreamcast members have been fairly supportive of her over time.

In Ortega’s comment, she seems to believe that a poor “sense of conversation” is part of what led to Barrera’s firing. In this case, the issue of Israel and Palestine isincredibly complicated both in global politics and in the Hollywood sphere. Just this year, for example,The Zone of Interestdirector Jonathan Glazercame under fire after his Oscars acceptance speech spoke about the importance of preventing ongoing genocide, citing Gaza, which several people took to be antisemitic.

Though a number of people reject Barrera’s statements, herScreamcast membershave been fairly supportive of her over time. This includes Ortega, who Barrera described as “super sweet” as the actor “checked in” on Barrera after her firing. OriginalScreamstar Skeet Ulrich also voiced support of Barrera, calling the environment that led to her firing a “sad state of affairs.” While Barrera’s firing was upsetting to many, the actor can at least be assured that multiple co-stars and franchise stars are in support of her.

Neve Campbell Was Added To The Cast

While Barrera has been removed from theScream 7cast, this change is not the only notable shakeup to the casting for the sequel. In March, it was announced that former franchise starNeve Campbell will returnto her role as Sidney Prescott forScream 7. This change will return the horror seriesto its roots character-wise, as it will also do behind the scenes with the hiring of Kevin Williamson to direct, who wrote the original film’s script. Using Sidney Prescott as the lead could also be a good way to distract from the Carpenter sisters' absence.

Campbell’s return itself did not come without its fair share of complications.She previously bowed out ofScream 6due to contract disputesbecause she felt that she was not being paid enough. The fact that this was what pushed her to leave outraged many who felt that the studio should have compensated Campbell properly for the franchise that she herself led to success. According to Campbell, the salary offer forScream 7was far higher, allowing her to feel comfortable returning.

Campbell appeared in the first fiveScreammovies, makingScream 6the first time she did not return.

Though Campbell’s casting inScream 7was exciting in one sense, the announcement alsoreignited the rage in reaction to Barrera’s firing. Many felt that Campbell’s casting would not make up for the fact that Barrera was fired from the project. Some viewers were going so far as to say that they would not show up to watchScream 7, even with the excitement of Campbell’s return, because of what Spyglass did to Barrera.

Within all the chaos, Ortega also leftScream 7, and the status of many other returning stars remains up in the air. This will mean that, while taking place in the same franchise,Scream7will look entirely differentfrom its two most recent predecessors. As the project continues its development, it will be interesting to see howScream 7ends up being received by its audience. While Campbell might compel some to theaters, the ongoing discussion of Barrera’s firing is likely to deter some audiences.

Scream 7

Cast

Scream 7 is the latest entry in the longstanding horror franchise, continuing the legacy with new chilling events.