The body is barely even cold, but some 24+ hours after Spyglass Media unceremoniously fired actress Melissa Barerra for comments they “interpreted” as being antisemitic (the words their PR used to describe their position), and Jenna Ortega quickly left the franchise citing “scheduling conflicts,” the company is already looking ahead to what’s next after the departure of both their lead actors.
Ortega and Barrera, who played sisters in “Scream V” and “Scream VI,” helped revitalize the franchise, but without them, the series faces a creative problem.
In a new Variety story, some of the creative options being weighed are outlined. James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, the writers of the previous two “Scream” installments, are now starting over on new drafts for director Christopher Landon.
Some of the actors on the wishlist include past scream queens Neve Campbell and Courtney Cox, the series’ original stars. Campbell would be notable as she appeared in 2022’s “Scream,” but then decided not to return for 2023’s “Scream VI” over a very public salary dispute where she said the studio lowballed her “value.” Over a barrel now, Spyglass would definitely have to pony up in order to bring her back into the fold, and her agents likely know this.
Another actor being reportedly considered is Patrick Dempsy, who was in the 2000s “Scream 3” and has recently experienced a career renaissance, topping it by being named People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2023.
None of these actors are in active negotiations, and it’ll probably take some time before a finished draft is complete. Still, it wouldn’t surprise if Spyglass started to take the temperature of Cox, Campbell, and Dempsey to find out if they are even possibilities before too much work is done on a script that can’t go forward.
“Scream VII” was eyeing a 2025 release, but starting over may complicate that. That said, “Scream” films generally do not have a lot of VFX, are mid-budget, and are typically turned around fast. Regardless, the backlash to Barrera’s firing has been intense, with many fans of the series calling for a boycott. Whether that makes a dent in the box office two years from now is hard to predict, but horror fans are vocal, disappointed in the news, and we haven’t heard the last from them on this story.
