Jenna Ortega on January 10, 2023.Photo: Todd Williamson/NBC/NBC via Getty
TheScreamfranchise is losing another lead actor.
On Wednesday,DeadlineandThe Hollywood Reporterreported thatJenna Ortega, who has starred in the last twoScreamfilms as Tara Carpenter, is no longer expected to reprise her role forScream VII.
The news comes one day after news broke that her costar (and onscreen sister)Melissa Barrerawas removed from the film’s cast due to her social media posts about the Israel-Hamas war, according to reports fromVarietyandThe Hollywood Reporter.
Deadline reported that 21-year-old Ortega’s departure from the film is not related to 33-year-old Barrera’s firing, nor online rumors swirling that Ortega asked to be let go from a contract related to herScreamrole. The outlet reported that Ortega will not star in the nextScream, which it says does not yet have a finalized script, due to her busy filming schedule on the second season of Netflix’sWednesdayand wrapping on filming forBeetlejuice2,
Representatives for Ortega and Spyglass did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Jasmin Savoy Brown, Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera on March 6, 2023.Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures
Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures
In a statement shared with PEOPLE on Tuesday, Spyglass, the studio behindScream VII, said their stance on Barrera’s firing 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,” the statement read.
Reps for Barrera did not respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment Tuesday.
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In one written message from her Instagram Story quoted in the reports of her firing andcirculating on social media, Barrera allegedly wrote, “I have been actively looking for videos and information about the Palestinian side for the last 2 weeks or so, following accounts etc. Why? Because Western media only shows the other side. Why they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself.”
Barrera and Ortega’s characters Samantha and Tara were previously positioned as the franchise’s new leads. Series star Neve Campbell did not participate in this year’sScream VIdue to a contract dispute.
Jenna Ortega.Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty
Scream VI, released in March,scored the franchise’s biggest opening weekendat the box office. The movie was also the series' first entry tocross the $100 million mark domesticallysince 1997’sScream 2.
Happy Death Daydirector Christopher Landon isexpected to take overScream VIIdirecting dutiesfrom Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who codirected bothScream(2022) andScream VI.
source: people.com
