Jenna Ortega has finally revealed the real reason she won’t be returning for Scream 7. The Scream franchise was reinvigorated with the release of the fifth film, 2022’s Scream. A large part of its success can be attributed to the newer, younger cast, which included Ortega as Tara Carpenter, the sister of Melissa Barrera’s Sam Carpenter. The duo returned in the 2023 sequel, Scream VI, but that looks to be the end of the road for their characters — and no, they’re not being killed off. After early reports stated Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday schedule conflicted with Scream 7, or that her team couldn’t reach a deal with Spyglass, the star reveals that neither is the reason why she’s not returning.
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The timing of Jenna Ortega exiting Scream 7 came a day after her co-star, Melissa Barrera, was fired for making controversial statements about the Israel-Hamas war on Instagram. “It had nothing to do with pay or scheduling,” Ortega told The Cut. Along with Barrera’s firing, Ortega’s Scream VI directors, Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, had also left the film. It all added up to Ortega no longer wanting to make Scream 7 if the creatives she had grown accustomed to working with weren’t going to be a part of the project.
“The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart,” she continued. “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.”
[RELATED: Scream Star Addresses Franchise Return Despite Dead Character, “Hope I Don’t F It Up”]
Last year, Barrera told ComicBook that she would love to work with Jenna Ortega again if given the opportunity. “I would love to work with her again. I do know that she does love horror, so it would probably be in something horror again that we would probably find each other again,” Barrera told ComicBook. “She’s incredible, and she’s genuinely a horror fan, so I know she’s constantly looking out for these projects. I think if we were to do something together again, it would definitely be horror.”
Scream alums Neve Campbell and original creator Kevin Williamson are returning for Scream 7. Campbell is reprising her role as Sidney Prescott and Williamson is directing the film, replacing departing director Christopher Landon.
“Hi All. I’m so excited to announce this news!!! Sidney Prescott is coming back!!!!” Campbell shared on Instagram after the news of her Scream return came out. “It’s always been such a blast and an honor to get to play Sidney in the Scream movies. My appreciation for these films and for what they have meant to me, has never waned. I’m very happy and proud to say I’ve been asked, in the most respectful way, to bring Sidney back to the screen and I couldn’t be more thrilled!!! Well actually I could.”
Filming for Scream 7 started in January, with Kevin Williamson revealing the film’s official logo. “I’m not supposed to post about Scream and I hope [Spyglass] and [Paramount] will forgive me but when you have one of the best days of your life it’s really hard to keep it to yourself,” Williamson wrote on social media. “What an extraordinary day I had working with an amazing and talented cast and crew. They brought their ‘A’ game and had my back every step of the way. I’m so very grateful for this opportunity and to Wes Craven who was on my mind through it all. The profound impact he has had on my life and career is endless. What a day! I can’t wait for tomorrow!”
New faces to the Scream franchise include Yellowstone prequel 1883 star Isabel May, who is playing Sidney Prescott’s daughter, Community‘s Joel McHale) as Mark Evans, Sidney Prescott’s husband, the Ghostbusters: Afterlife duo of McKenna Grace and Celeste O’Connor, Pitch Perfect star Anna Camp, Riverdale’s Mark Consuelos as the possible villain. Another alum who is making their Scream return is Matthew Lillard.
Scream 7 opens in theaters on February 27, 2026. Let us know your thoughts on Jenna Ortega’s reasons for exiting in the comments below!
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