Both final girls from Scream VI, played by Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, will not return for the sequel movie. Barrera was reportedly fired for controversial posts regarding the Israel-Hamas situation while Ortega won't return due to conflicting shooting schedules.
Just from Sam's and Tara's perspectives, they might be better off not having to face even more horrors. Still, actresses Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega were a huge part of Scream's success, and yet the sequel Scream VII will have to do without them.
Melissa Barrera Reportedly Fired From Scream VII For Posts About Israel And Palestine
Speaking out about the conflict regarding Israel and Palestine is a very sensitive subject. After doing so, Melissa Barrera has been fired from Scream VII as confirmed by Deadline.
Barrera posted Instagram stories about the current situation that apparently led to her being dropped by Spyglass Media, the production company behind the new Scream movies. Spyglass issued a statement:
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.
Support for Barrera on Twitter/X has been huge with people claiming Barrera's statements were not antisemitic. While her initial posts are no longer on Instagram, you can still find screenshots of her stories:
Almost all of Melissa Barrera's IG Stories about Palestine: A thread. pic.twitter.com/DjrbJWt6RQ
— Sam Carpenter TGS stands w/ Melissa Barrera (@OoXLR8oO) October 22, 2023
Barrera's Statement Condemns Both Anti-Semitism And Islamophobia
Without calling out Spyglass Media directly, Barrera posted another Instagram story after the news broke and Twitter/X went aflame with posts about the situation. In short, she says that she won't remain silent about the conflict between Israel and Palestine and that she just prays for a "peaceful co-existence."
Here's her full post:
Jenna Ortega Won't Return For Scream VII Either
Jenna Ortega also won't come back for her third movie in the Scream franchise as reported by Deadline. The news broke just one day after Barrera was dropped.
Rumor has it that Ortega quit in support of Barrera – these rumors have not been confirmed, though. Rather, it's a shooting schedule issue. Apparently, Ortega's exit isn't as spontaneous as some make it out to be but has been discussed months ago, even before the Hollywood strikes.
At the end of the day, Scream VII will have to make do without the Carpenter sisters – or recast them, which doesn't seem too likely.