Jenna Ortega says her ‘Scream’ exit wasn’t due to pay or scheduling

Jenna Ortega is ready to talk about her abrupt departure from Scream 7.

The actress, who starred alongside Melissa Barrera in the revival of the beloved slasher franchise, recently told The Cut that despite initial reports, her exit “had nothing to do with pay or scheduling.”

Instead, she pointed out that not only was the film going forward without Barrera, who played her onscreen sister in Scream (2022) and Scream VI (2023) before being fired from the franchise, but without directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin.

“The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart,” Ortega explained. “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.”

The Death of a Unicorn actress, who is known for roles in Wednesday and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, also expressed an interest in stepping back from IP filmmaking. 

“I’ve happened to join a lot of franchises, which is so great to be a part of legacy,” she added. “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. But an original script is exciting. If I can help get it made, I love to do that.”

The Radio Silence team of directors Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin moved on from the Scream franchise after Scream VI to direct Barrera in their Universal monster movie, Abigail. In August 2023, Happy Death Day filmmaker Christopher Landon stepped in to take their place. 

Later that year, Barrera was suddenly fired from Scream VII over a series of social media posts expressing support for the Palestinian cause and criticizing Israeli actions, which the film’s production company Spyglass Entertainment deemed “hate speech.” A day later, news dropped that Ortega would not return for Scream 7 due to a scheduling conflict with the second season of her Netflix series Wednesday — a claim that she has now refuted.

Eventually, Landon also departed the film, referring to the project as “a dream job that turned into a nightmare.” Scream 7 then underwent a massive creative overhaul, resulting in the version now set for a 2026 release, which sees the return of franchise mainstays Neve Campbell (Sidney Prescott), Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers), and David Arquette (Deputy Dewey Riley).

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In the aftermath of her firing, Barrera did not back down from her stance, condemning “hate and prejudice of any kind” while reiterating her intention to speak out for people in need. “I will continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom. Silence is not an option for me,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

She later told The Hollywood Reporter that Ortega reached out to show support after she was fired over the social media posts. “We chatted for a while, and I love her so much,” Barrera said at the time. “She’s been very supportive of me, and we’re sisters for life.”

Along with Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding, Ortega and Barrera made up a group of characters affectionately referred to as the Scream reboot’s “Core Four.” Brown and Gooding have opted to return for the seventh movie.