Director Kevin Williamson Opens Up on the Fallout from Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega Leaving ‘Scream 7’

The road to Scream 7 has been anything but smooth. What was once a thriving franchise revival came to a screeching halt in late 2023 when stars Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega both departed the project. Director Kevin Williamson, who co-created the original Scream and now steps behind the camera for the seventh film, says those exits nearly derailed the whole thing.

In an interview with ScreenRant, Williamson spoke candidly about the uncertainty that took hold after the sudden cast shake-up. “After we lost Melissa and Jenna, and it just looked like we weren’t going to see the Carpenter sisters in a third movie, it was kind of a bummer. It’s like, ‘What do we do next?’” he said.

The loss was a major blow. Barrera and Ortega had become the face of the franchise’s new generation, embraced by fans after their dynamic performances in 2022’s Scream and its 2023 follow-up. When Barrera was fired over social media posts deemed controversial, and Ortega exited soon after, momentum collapsed and the original plan for the film fell apart.

What followed was an extended period of limbo. Christopher Landon, who was initially signed on to direct Scream 7, stepped away, and the production was effectively back at square one. For a while, Williamson says, there was no clear path forward. That changed with one idea, bringing back Sidney Prescott in a more central role.

“And then this idea to bring Sidney Prescott back and not just bring her back, but to focus on her character, tell her story of who she is today that got really exciting for me. And I think other people got really excited about it,” Williamson said.

Writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick took that inspiration and built a fresh script around Sidney. Once Neve Campbell read the draft, she signed on. Her involvement ultimately played a key role in getting Williamson to step up as director. “And then Neve called me one day and said, ‘I think you should direct this.’ And I went, ‘No, no, no, no, no… okay, I’ll do it,’” he added.

Despite its rocky start, Scream 7 is now firmly back on track. The film, featuring returning legacy characters and a new narrative direction, will hit theaters on February 27, 2026.

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