Director Christopher Landon exits ‘Scream VII’

The development follows the firing of Melissa Barrera and the voluntary exit of Jenna Ortega

Christopher Landon attends Netflix’s “We Have A Ghost” Premiere on February 22, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.  | Photo Credit: Charley Gallay/Getty Images

Christopher Landon has dropped out of Scream VII. The development follows the firing of Melissa Barrera and the voluntary exit of Jenna Ortega. “It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. My heart did break for everyone involved,” he wrote on X on Saturday.

I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited Scream 7 weeks ago. This will disappoint some and delight others. It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart did break for everyone involved. Everyone. But it's time to move on. I have nothing

— christopher landon (@creetureshow) December 23, 2023

On November 21, production company Spyglass fired Melissa Barrera from the project. Spyglass removed the actor over her social media posts it deemed as “anti-semitic”. Barrera had become vocal about the Israel-Hamas war. One day after the removal of Barrera, Jenna Ortega announced that she wouldn’t be returning to the project.

Landon, the horror specialist, was set to take over the franchise from the directing team Radio Silence, which gave a new life to the franchise with the blockbuster Scream VI. The current film’s script is being written by James Vanderbilt.

Published - December 26, 2023 04:43 pm IST