Kevin Williamson acknowledges the unexpected departures of Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega from Scream 7, expressing that it’s somewhat disappointing. He further discusses how these departures have influenced the film’s storyline.
In the world of horror movies, I was super stoked to learn that Scream 7, or Scream VII as some call it, was gearing up to put the spotlight on Sam Carpenter and Tara Carpenter – characters skillfully brought to life by Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega.
However, Barrera was removed from the project due to a string of social media comments about the Gaza Conflict. On the other hand, Ortega decided to depart following what she termed “the Melissa matter,” along with the exit of directors Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett.
In a swift change, Neve Campbell, famously known for her role in Scream, came back to portray Sidney Prescott, and it was Kevin Williamson, the original writer of Scream, who took over as director.
Kevin Williamson calls departures of Scream stars “kind of a bummer”
Discussing with ScreenRant about the sequence of events, Williamson expressed that when Melissa and Jenna were no longer part of a potential third film, it was disappointing. Essentially, he wondered, “What’s our next move?
The notion of reintroducing the character of Sidney Prescott, delving deeply into her current identity and narrative, sparked a lot of enthusiasm in me. I believe others felt equally enthused by this prospect as well.
Later on, they began composing a screenplay. An excellent idea for a story came from Jamie – collaboratively developed with Guy Busick – which they then started to write. It seemed to develop a momentum all on its own. Subsequently, Neve read it and listened to the proposal, and she agreed to be a part of it. Meanwhile, I remained as the executive producer, mostly observing from the sideline.
One day, Neve phoned me and suggested, “I believe you’d be great for this project.” Initially, I hesitated, but eventually agreed.
Read More
2025-06-12 19:20