Original Scream 7 Director Quits After Melissa Barrera Firing, Co-Stars Exit

Christopher Landon, originally set to direct Scream 7, left the project about a week after Melissa Barrera was fired due to her social media posts about the Israel-Hamas conflict. Landon explained that the entire script was built around Barrera's character, Sam Carpenter, and once she was removed, the movie he signed on to make no longer existed. Following Barrera's firing by Spyglass Entertainment, co-star Jenna Ortega also exited the project, and Landon faced intense public backlash and death threats, despite not being responsible for Barrera's dismissal. Landon described losing the project as painful and said the experience turned a dream job into a nightmare. Kevin Williamson was later announced as Landon's replacement to direct the film, which will now focus more on legacy characters like Sidney Prescott. Barrera's firing and the subsequent departures have left the storyline for Sam and her sister Tara unresolved in the upcoming installment.