Jenna Ortega Opts Out of Scream VII Despite Record-Breaking Success in Scream VI

In a surprising turn of events, Jenna Ortega, whose pivotal role contributed to Scream VI achieving its highest-ever opening grosses of $44.4 million domestically and $67 million globally, will not be returning for the next installment, Scream VII, according to reliable sources.

Contrary to speculation, this decision is unrelated to the recent dismissal of Melissa Barrera by Spyglass Media due to her social media posts on the Hamas-Israel conflict. Nor is it connected to Barrera’s request to terminate her contract with the Scream franchise. Ortega and Barrera portrayed sisters in the 2022 film Scream, playing the characters Tara and Sam Carpenter, respectively.

Reports indicate that discussions about Ortega’s departure from Scream VII were underway even before the actors’ strike. With no finalized script for the upcoming film, the Primetime Emmy nominee is set to head to Ireland in April to film the second season of Netflix’s Wednesday, extending into the summer. Additionally, post the SAG-AFTRA strike, the filming of Beetlejuice required a few additional days to meet its Labor Day 2024 theatrical release.

While details about the Scream 7 schedule are yet to be revealed, one thing is certain for Ortega after the success of Wednesday—the world is her oyster when it comes to future roles.

Following her nomination for Comedy Series Actress at the Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Comedy TV Actress nomination for her role as the title character in Wednesday, Ortega’s star continues to rise.

The Scream franchise, now gearing up for its seventh installment, is poised to surpass the $1 billion global box office mark. As it stands, the first six films have collectively earned $911 million.

In response to Barrera’s removal from Scream VII, Spyglass issued a statement emphasizing their zero-tolerance policy for antisemitism and hate speech in any form. Meanwhile, Christopher Landon, the newly appointed director for Scream VII, shared and later deleted a tweet expressing his dissatisfaction, stating, “This is my statement: 💔 Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make.”