In a candid new interview, Jenna Ortega has revealed the behind-the-scenes turmoil that led to her shocking exit from Scream 7, pulling back the curtain on the creative chaos that derailed the highly anticipated sequel. The Wednesday star’s departure – along with co-lead Melissa Barrera’s controversial firing – sent shockwaves through the horror community last year, and now Ortega is sharing her side of the story for the first time.
A Franchise in Crisis
Ortega describes a production that was “all kind of falling apart” long before her official exit. Sources close to the production reveal multiple factors contributed to the instability:
- Creative Differences – The script went through numerous rewrites, with Ortega reportedly unsatisfied with her character Tara Carpenter’s direction
- Scheduling Nightmares – Ortega’s Wednesday Season 2 commitments created increasing conflicts
- Backstage Turmoil – The exit of directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (known collectively as Radio Silence) left the project without its creative anchors
“It wasn’t one thing, it was death by a thousand cuts,” Ortega explained. “When so many key people start leaving, you realize this isn’t the project you signed up for anymore.”
The Melissa Barrera Factor
The situation reached a boiling point when co-star Melissa Barrera was abruptly fired in November 2023 following her social media posts about the Israel-Hamas conflict. While Ortega’s exit was officially attributed to scheduling, she admits Barrera’s removal was the final straw.
“There’s a sisterhood there that’s very real,” Ortega said of her Scream co-star. “When they let Melissa go, it changed everything. The heart of the story was Sam and Tara – you can’t properly finish that story with half of it missing.”
Creative Compromises
Insiders reveal Ortega had growing concerns about the script long before Barrera’s firing:
- Tara’s character arc was being significantly reduced in later drafts
- New writers brought in after Radio Silence’s exit made drastic changes to established character dynamics
- The planned “final chapter” feel was being abandoned for a more open-ended approach
“It started feeling less like a cohesive vision and more like a patchwork of ideas,” Ortega admitted. “When you lose that trust in the storytelling, it’s hard to commit fully.”
The Domino Effect
The fallout from Ortega and Barrera’s departures sent shockwaves through the production:
- Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day) stepped down as director just weeks after being hired
- The script underwent another complete overhaul, now centering on Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott
- Original star Courteney Cox remains the only confirmed cast member
“What people don’t realize is these decisions affect hundreds of crew members too,” Ortega noted. “There were so many talented people who put their hearts into this, and to see it unravel like that was painful.”
A Changing Horror Landscape
Industry analysts see the Scream 7 chaos as symptomatic of larger shifts in Hollywood:
- Franchise filmmaking becoming increasingly unstable post-strike
- Social media controversies impacting creative decisions
- Younger stars like Ortega wielding more power over their commitments
“These legacy franchises need their new generation of stars more than ever,” explains horror scholar Dr. Laura Westengard. “When you lose that fresh blood, you risk losing your connection to younger audiences.”
What Could Have Been
Early concept art and script details reveal the original vision for Scream 7:
- A New York-set finale pitting Sam and Tara against Ghostface in an urban environment
- Deeper exploration of the sisters’ trauma bond
- Several major legacy character returns beyond Sidney and Gale
“Some of those ideas were really special,” Ortega reflects. “I think fans would have loved where we were going originally.”
Looking Forward
While Ortega has closed the door on Scream for now, she’s embracing new challenges:
- Her Wednesday Season 2 role is expanding with a producer credit
- She’s attached to star in Beetlejuice 2, reuniting with Tim Burton
- Several indie projects allow her to explore darker material
“I’ll always be grateful for Scream and the opportunities it gave me,” she concludes. “But sometimes things fall apart so better things can come together.”
The full interview appears in the upcoming issue of The Hollywood Reporter, hitting newsstands next week. Scream 7 is currently scheduled to begin production this fall with a 2025 release date.