- Landon announced his departure via Twitter on December 22, saying it was ‘time to move on’
- Melissa Barrera was fired for her social media posts in Israel/Palestine
- Her costar Jenna Ortega will not return for the sequel amid separate projects
Director Christopher Landon has left Scream 7.
The horror specialist, who created Happy Death Day and Freaky, got to work Xformerly Twitter, announced Saturday that he would no longer direct the next sequel in the famed franchise started by Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson.
“I think this is a good time to announce that I formally retired from Scream seven weeks ago,” Landon said. “This will disappoint some and delight others. It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart broke for everyone involved. Everyone. But it’s time to move on.’
He added, “I have nothing more to add to the conversation other than hoping Wes’ legacy thrives and rises above the noise of a divided world. What he and Kevin have created is something amazing and I felt honored to bask in their glow for even a brief moment.”
Landon’s departure marked the culmination of a turbulent few months for the troubled project, which also included the departure of two key players.
Director Christopher Landon has left Scream 7; he is pictured in 2023
The horror specialist announced on Saturday via X, formerly Twitter, that he would no longer direct the next sequel in the famous franchise started by Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson.
On November 21, it was reported that Spyglass had excluded actress Melissa Barrera from the upcoming seventh Scream film due to social media posts deemed anti-Semitic.
Amid the war between Israel and Hamas, Barerra shared a message accusing Israel of “genocide and ethnic cleansing.”
The actress, who played Sam Carpenter in the franchise, labeled Israel a “colonized” country and posted content with an anti-Semitic trope about Jewish people controlling the media.
According to The Hollywood ReporterBarrera also said in another Instagram Stories post that “Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp.”
A spokesperson for Spyglass released a statement Variety in which she explained why Barerra was let go from the film because of her comments.
‘Spyglass’ position is unequivocally clear: we have zero tolerance for anti-Semitism or incitement to hatred in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, distortion of the Holocaust or anything that blatantly crosses the line of hate speech,” the spokesperson said.
Landon distanced himself from the decision at the time, saying in a now-deleted tweet: “Everything sucks. Stop shouting. This wasn’t my decision.’
A day after the news of Barrera’s dismissal, it was reported that fellow star Jenna Ortega would not return.
“I think this is a good time to announce that I formally retired from Scream seven weeks ago,” Landon said. “This will disappoint some and delight others. It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart broke for everyone involved. Everyone. But it’s time to move on’
On November 21, it was reported that Spyglass had excluded actress Melissa Barrera from the upcoming seventh Scream film due to social media posts deemed anti-Semitic; seen in 2022
A day after the news of Barrera’s dismissal, it was reported that fellow star Jenna Ortega would not return
Ortega’s departure, a decision made by her and her representation team, occurred prior to SAG-AFTRA’s strike this summer but was not announced until last month.
She reportedly had conflicts due to her shooting schedule for Wednesday’s Season 2.
Landon would star as directing duo Radio Silence, known for rejuvenating the franchise with 2022’s Scream and the hit Scream VI, which was released in March.
The latter became the highest-grossing domestic installment in the horror franchise since the 1996 original, directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson.
