Jenna Ortega Exits ‘Scream 7’ Over Pay Dispute and Script Changes

Jenna Ortega has officially departed the upcoming ‘Scream 7’, ending months of speculation following the firing of co-star Melissa Barrera and the exit of director Christopher Landon. Sources confirm the split occurred weeks ago, with Ortega’s team citing an unresolvable salary demand and dissatisfaction with the revised screenplay after Barrera’s removal for pro-Palestine social media posts. Spyglass Media proceeded without her, recasting the role originally written for Ortega’s Tara Carpenter.

Ortega’s asking price exceeded $12 million plus backend participation, more than double her ‘Wednesday’ Season 2 fee of roughly $5.5 million per episode. Negotiations stalled when Spyglass’s refusal to meet the figure for a supporting character in the ensemble slasher format. The studio instead elevated Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott to sole lead, securing Campbell for $18 million after her absence from ‘Scream VI’ over a separate pay dispute.

The screenplay underwent three rewrites since November 2024. The original draft by Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt centered the Carpenter sisters alongside Barrera’s Sam. After Barrera’s dismissal, Radio Silence directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett exited in solidarity, prompting Landon’s subsequent departure. Kevin Williamson now directs from a new script by Vanderbilt that sidelines Tara and introduces legacy survivors Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) as Sidney’s primary allies.

Production remains scheduled to begin January 2026 in Montreal with a $48 million budget, down from the projected $62 million that included Ortega. Paramount and Spyglass fast-tracked the project to capitalize on Campbell’s return and avoid further delays that pushed ‘Scream 8’ planning into 2027. Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding continue as Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin, while new cast members Isabel May and Celeste O’Connor fill younger roles.

Ortega’s exit follows her rapid ascent from ‘Scream’ (2022) and ‘Scream VI’ to leading Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’, which drew 252 million households in its first season. Her representatives declined comment, but insiders report she prioritized commitments to ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ press and Tim Burton’s next project. Spyglass issued a brief statement confirming the parting as mutual and expressing gratitude for her prior contributions.

The departure marks the second major cast fracture for the rebooted franchise within six months. Barrera’s November 2024 firing triggered widespread backlash and boycott calls, with Ortega initially voicing support before contract talks collapsed. Campbell’s return announcement in March 2025 temporarily stabilized the project, now proceeding without either Carpenter sister from the 2022 revival.

‘Scream 7’ targets a March 27, 2026 theatrical release through Paramount Pictures. Advance tracking suggests domestic opening projections of $35–42 million, below the $49 million earned by ‘Scream VI’. Marketing will emphasize Sidney Prescott’s final confrontation with Ghostface, positioning the film as a direct sequel to the 1996 original rather than continuation of the requel storyline.

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