No, Jenna Ortega didn't drop out of 'Scream 7' in support of Melissa Barrera: reports

In a blow to the Scream franchise, Jenna Ortega, a key figure in the success of Scream VI, has opted out of the upcoming Scream VII. Her departure comes on the heels of fellow star Melissa Barrera's removal for sharing a post that called out Israel for "genocide and ethnic cleansing." Production company Spyglass said it had "zero tolerance for antisemitism."

Contrary to parallels being drawn, Ortega's departure has been attributed to her Wednesday shooting schedule, as per Variety. Insiders note that the 21-year-old's exit was not in support of her co-star's firing, since the schedule row was ongoing prior to the actors' strike.

As the Scream cast undergoes massive and unexpected changes, many are calling for a boycott of the franchise and its production company. Some are also speculating whether Ortega made a power move. “'Jenna Ortega not returning for Scream 7 has nothing to do with melissa barrera’s firi-' what a crock of s***. you really expect me to believe Jenna walking less than 24 hours after Melissa’s firing is a coincidence when she herself is also openly pro-palestine? GET REAL!" wrote an X user.

"They fired Melissa Barrera from Scream 7 and now Jenna Ortega is also out because of 'schedule conflicts.' I know that’s RIGHT! F*** Paramount and f*** Spyglass. This is now officially the ending scene of the Scream franchise," another added. "As far as I’m concerned, this is the perfect ending for the scream franchise #JusticeForMelissaBarrera #MelissaBarrera #scream7," read another tweet, and several alike. 

As per Deadline, the script for Scream VII is not ready yet, and the Primetime Emmy nominee has to head to Ireland in April to shoot the second season of Netflix’s Wednesday, which will go into the summer. It is pertinent to mention that season 2 of Wednesday shooting schedule is still under wraps.

Additionally, Beetlejuice post SAG-AFTRA strike had a few extra days of shooting in order to meet its Labour Day 2024 theatrical release.

Ortega played a pivotal role in the success of Scream VI, which boasted the franchise's best opening grosses at $44.4 million domestically and $67 million globally. Ortega and Barrera portrayed sisters in the previous Scream films, with Ortega as Tara Carpenter in 2022's Scream and Barrera as Sam Carpenter in the recently released Scream VI

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