Original Scream 7 director Christopher Landon candidly explains why he departed the movie not long after Melissa Barrera was fired. Though the upcoming installment in the long-running Scream franchise is now on track for release next year, with franchise veteran Kevin Williamson directing and Neve Campbell starring, the film experienced some major setbacks.

In late 2023, it was reported that Barrera, who played new protagonist Sam Carpenter, was fired due to her social media posts about the Israel-Hamas conflict. Not long after, costar Jenna Ortega also left the Scream 7 cast, followed by Landon, who had been confirmed as director that August.

More details about Landon’s decision to leave Scream 7 have now emerged in Your Favorite Scary Movie by Ashley Cullins. In the book, Landon reveals that Barrera’s firing was directly responsible for his decision to quit, as he had built the entire story around her character. Check out his comment below:

“I made my decision to walk away about a week after they fired her. There was no movie anymore. The whole script was about her. I didn’t sign on to make ‘a Scream movie.’ I signed on to make that movie. When that movie no longer existed, I moved on.”

What This Means For Scream 7

Sam and Tara Carpenter were first introduced as central characters in 2022’s Scream, a legacy sequel that united new characters with franchise veterans like Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), and Dewey Riley (David Arquette). 2023’s Scream 6 further put Sam and Tara in the spotlight, building upon Sam’s dark connection to Billy Loomis, her father.

Now, though, Sam and Tara’s story will go unfinished, at least in this next Scream movie. The most audiences can hope for regarding a resolution to Sam and Tara’s story is a few lines of dialogue about what happened to them and why they are no longer in the picture.

Given what happened with Campbell and her very public decision not to return for Scream 6 over a pay dispute, it’s always possible that Barrera and Ortega could eventually make a comeback. The next movie, though, will put Sidney back in center stage, with Gale and Dewey also confirmed to return, despite the latter’s death.

Following the Scream 6 ending, the next movie is seemingly pulling out all the stops when it comes to cast. In addition to the original three stars, the film will feature the return of Jasmin Savoy-Brown as Mindy and Mason Gooding as Chad. Matthew Lillard will also be reprising his role as Stu Macher from the first film.

Our Take On Christopher Landon’s Scream 7 Exit

Landon directed films like Happy Death Day (2017), Freaky (2020), and Drop (2025), all of which proved he has a unique voice in the horror/ thriller genre, particularly when it comes to mixing scares with humor. This made him an excellent choice for Scream 7, and it’s a shame that he ended up leaving the project.

That being said, Williamson could be a strong replacement given that he wrote the first two Scream movies and the 2011 fourth installment. Combined with the stellar cast, Scream 7 is shaping up to be an exciting new installment in the Ghostface saga.