Scream 7: Jenna Ortega's Absence Confirmed for Sequel

Jenna Ortega and Mellissa Barrera were both featured in the new Scream movies, but neither will be returning for the third film. The Scream movies have been a major horror franchise since the first movie debuted in 1996.

The franchise was able to continue due to the addition of new lead characters Tara and Sam Carpenter, portrayed by Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera. Unfortunately, Barrera has been let go from the production and Ortega's return is currently uncertain.

Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera will not be in Scream 7

According to an exclusive report from Deadline, Jenna Ortega will not reprise her role in Scream 7. This decision apparently was made during the actor's strike and is unrelated to the fallout from Melissa Barrera's firing by Spyglass Media over her social media repostings on the Hamas-Israel conflict, or her request to end her Scream contract.

Barrera was recently terminated from the franchise after expressing support for Palestine on social media. Spyglass responded with a statement clarifying their zero-tolerance stance on antisemitism and hate speech. This decision prompted outrage among fans in support of Barrera, leading to speculation that Ortega, who played Barrera's sister in the franchise, has also withdrawn from the sequel in solidarity.

Ortega's participation in the Wednesday series and the upcoming Beetlejuice sequel made him a major draw for the modern Scream movies, resulting in Scream 6 achieving the franchise's highest opening box-office gross at $67 million globally.

Scream 7 is still in the early stages of production due to the unavailability of the script. Production had to adjust to Ortega's busy schedule before this. Stay tuned to Dexerto for updates on this development.

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Editor's P/S

As a passionate fan of the Scream franchise, I am deeply saddened by the news that Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera will not be returning for the upcoming Scream 7 movie. Ortega's portrayal of Tara Carpenter and Barrera's portrayal of Sam Carpenter were integral to the success of the new Scream movies, and their absence will be keenly felt by fans.

I understand that Ortega's busy schedule with the Wednesday series and the upcoming Beetlejuice sequel may have contributed to her decision not to return for Scream 7. However, I am disappointed that Spyglass Media chose to terminate Barrera's contract over her social media postings on the Hamas-Israel conflict. I believe that Barrera's support for Palestine was a matter of personal conscience, and I do not think it should have resulted in her being fired from the franchise.

I hope that Spyglass Media will reconsider their decision and bring back both Ortega and Barrera for Scream 7. The fans deserve to see the story of the Carpenter sisters continue, and I believe that Ortega and Barrera are the perfect actresses to bring that story to life.