Jenna Ortega breaks her silence on why she really exited ‘Scream’ franchise
Ortega played scream queen Tara Carpenter in 2022’s “Scream” and 2023’s “Scream VI.” ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
Jenna Ortega is addressing why she really exited the “Scream” franchise two years ago.
The “Wednesday” actress, 22, opened up about her decision to depart the role of scream queen Tara Carpenter in an interview with The Cut on Monday.
Although it was initially reported that Ortega left the franchise due to “pay and scheduling issues,” she has now clarified that it was actually because her onscreen sister, Melissa Barrera, was fired and would not be returning.
Ortega added that she exited the franchise because the directors of 2022’s “Scream” and 2023’s “Scream VI,” Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, were not coming back for “Scream VII.”
“The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart,” Ortega said. “If ‘Scream VII’ 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.”
Ortega, who most recently starred in “Death of a Unicorn,” added that she is more interested in pursuing projects that are not connected to an already well-established IP.
“I’ve happened to join a lot of franchises, which is so great to be a part of legacy,” the “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” star said. “But for me, I’m really trying to prioritize new directors and original stories.”
“I know on the outside, maybe people are looking at my choices like, ‘Man, what the hell is this girl doing?’ I never thought I would do a movie with unicorns,” she continued. “But an original script is exciting. If I can help get it made, I love to do that.”
“Scream VII” began to “fall apart” in 2023 when directors Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin left the franchise to direct Barrera in a Universal film titled “Abigail.”
The “Scream VI” sequel collapsed further later that year when Barrera, 34, was fired for expressing support for Palestine amid the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza.
“Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp,” she wrote in one social media post. “Cornering everyone together, with no where to go, no electricity no water. People have learnt nothing from our histories. And just like our histories, people are still silently watching it all happen. THIS IS GENOCIDE & ETHNIC CLEANSING.”
Spyglass Media fired Barrera shortly after.
“Spyglass’ stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech,” a company spokesperson told Variety in Nov. 2023.
Ortega dropped out of the movie one day after Spyglass Media booted Barrera.
Barrera later opened up about being axed from “Scream VII” and doubled down on her position of condemning “hate and prejudice of any kind.”
“I will continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom,” she said on Instagram. “Silence is not an option for me.”
Barrera also revealed that Ortega had reached out to show her support after the firing.
“We chatted for a while, and I love her so much. She’s been very supportive of me, and we’re sisters for life,” Barrera said of her former “Scream” sister. “We’ll plan little reunions to play board games because that’s what we used to do when we were shooting.”
Since Barrera’s firing and Ortega’s exit from “Scream VII,” the film has gone through a complete overhaul.
Christopher Landon, who was picked to take over as director after Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin left, dropped out in Dec. 2023, saying the project was “a dream job that turned into a nightmare.”
Franchise mainstays Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette are now set to return to their roles as Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers, and Deputy Dewey Riley, respectively.
Two past Ghostface killers, Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley, are scheduled to return to the franchise for “Scream VII” when it hits theaters next year.
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