Jenna Ortega is one of the most up-and-coming young actors in Hollywood, but she's leaving behind one of her first big hits, as she will not be returning to star in Scream 7 after appearing in the previous two installments. Now, with Scream 7 having undergone big changes to both its cast and its behind-the-scenes production team, Ortega is opening up about why she departed the franchise – and according to her new interview with The Cut, it had "nothing to do with pay or scheduling."
Instead, Ortega's decision to depart the Scream franchise comes down to the departure of other actors and filmmakers from the production, leading to her feeling disconnected from the Scream franchise. It all started back in November 2023 when Ortega's Scream co-star Melissa Barrera was fired from the film due to pro-Palestine comments she made on social media. Meanwhile, directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin also exited the film, leaving Ortega feeling adrift.
"It had nothing to do with pay or scheduling," Ortega explains, contradicting early reports that those were motivating factors in her departure. "The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart. If Scream 7 wasn’t going to be with that team of directors and those people I fell in love with, then it didn’t seem like the right move for me in my career at the time."
Following the departure of Ortega, Barrera, and the film's directors, Scream 7 has enlisted franchise veterans Neve Campbell and Matthew Lillard to star alongside McKenna Grace, Isabel May, and others, while the film will be directed by Kevin Williamson, writer of the original Scream film as well as Scream 2 and Scream 4, and executive producer of Scream 3, 5, and 6.
Scream 7 hits theaters on February 27, 2026. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2025 and beyond, or, skip ahead to our complete list of movie release dates.
