Scream 7: Jenna Ortega Exits Film For Wednesday Season 2

Jenna Ortega will not be returning for "Scream 7." 

Earlier this week, it was reported that Melissa Barrera would not be returning for the currently untitled seventh "Scream" film. Barrera, who plays Sam Carpenter in the franchise, was fired by Spyglass Media over social media posts relating to the ongoing Palestinian-Israel conflict. Barrera's dismissal from the highly-anticipated "Scream 7" has proven to be controversial, and left fans of the long-running slasher series uneasy about the franchise's future. Now, Deadline reports that Jenna Ortega, who stars as Tara Carpenter, will not be returning for "Scream 7." 

The outlet notes that Ortega, who has emerged as one of Hollywood's most in-demand talents since her 2022 "Scream" debut, is leaving the franchise to film "Wednesday" Season 2. Ortega's decision reportedly has nothing to do with Barrera's firing. Ortega's choice to call it curtains on "Scream" was made months ago according to The Hollywood Reporter, though it hasn't escaped many that the bombshell news comes in the wake of yesterday's controversial move.

"Scream 7" is still in early production — Deadline says a script isn't even ready yet — and Ortega has big plans occupying her schedule. The "X" actress is heading to Ireland in April to film "Wednesday" Season 2, and needs to wrap up the decades-in-the-making "Beetlejuice 2," which was forced to pause production due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. With Ortega and Barrera out of the picture, it's unclear what a "Scream 7" would look like. After all, the franchise made it pretty darn clear with 2023's "Scream VI" that the Carpenter sisters would be at the heart of the series going forward. 

The future of the "Scream" franchise remains uncertain now that Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera won't be in the upcoming seventh picture. It's sort of surprising that the "Scream" franchise has found itself in this position considering just how prominent the series has been in recent years. After remaining dormant for over a decade, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett revived the slasher series with 2022's "Scream," which saw the Carpenter sisters (Ortega, Barrera) teaming up with old guard Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) to protect the town of Woodsboro from a new Ghostface. 

The film emerged as a substantial success, grossing over $138 million worldwide, proving that the series could be relevant to Gen Z. Paramount Pictures, and Spyglass quickly produced a sequel, releasing "Scream VI" to even greater critical and financial acclaim earlier this year. The "Scream" franchise hasn't even peaked yet, but it seems as if its wings are being cut off. "Happy Death Day" series director Christopher Landon was roped in earlier this year to direct the upcoming "Scream VII," but it's unclear when production on the seventh outing will start. 

For Ortega, however, this is a major strategic move. The actress has turned into a superstar since "Scream," and it makes sense that she wants to double down on "Wednesday," the Netflix series that turned her into an overnight horror icon and an Emmy nominee. While the "Scream" franchise has always been great to her, they were never really her projects to begin with, unlike "Wednesday," which is clearly a showcase for her talents as a lead star.