After losing the protagonists Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega this week, the production of the film “Scream 7” is undergoing a creative reboot and attempts to negotiate with actors Neve Campbell and Patrick Dempsey.
After the departure of Barrera and Ortega, the making of the film remained an enigma, according to sources linked to the project to Variety magazine.
James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, writers of the previous two episodes of “Scream”, will now work on a new draft to present to the filmmakers.
Who will have to fight the masked killer this time? The “Scream” films have a bank of characters who are still alive. This includes actresses Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox, original stars of the series.
Campbell appeared in 2022’s “Scream” but chose not to return for 2023’s “Scream 6” due to a pay dispute.
Producers are eager to see her reclaim her iconic character, Sidney Prescott.
Another possibility could be Patrick Dempsey, who stole the show in 2000’s “Scream 3”.
However, none of them have been in actual negotiations with the production so far.
Some scenarios and twists can be preserved, but the film will need to find new protagonists anyway.
“Scream 7” was expected to hit theaters in 2025. Even though the producers have to start all over again now, that date would still be viable if Landon and the writers can find another scary story to tell.
This is because “Scream” films do not require extensive visual effects and can be produced quickly.
Losing the stars
On Wednesday (22), actress Jenna Ortega, who plays Wandinha in the Netflix series, left the cast of “Scream 7”.
The decision was made by her due to the filming schedule for the second season of “Wandinha”, which clashed with the filming of the horror film.
On Tuesday (21), actress Melissa Barrera had already been fired from the film’s cast because of some posts on social media about the war in Israel. She declared support for Palestine.
The film’s producer, Spyglass Media Group, called the support “anti-Semitism” and said it has “zero tolerance” for it. The statement was given to Variety magazine.
Apparently, Ortega’s departure is not directly related to Barrera’s and has been in progress for a few months.
Ortega and Barrera played sisters Tara and Sam Carpenter in the 2022 revival of “Scream” and, subsequently, made “Scream 6”, bringing the horror franchise to life again.
Ortega and Barrera signed a contract for two “Scream” films and fulfilled those obligations with the previous films. They would have had to close new contracts for “Scream 7”, which did not happen.
*Published by Pedro Jordão, from CNN in Sao Paulo
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
