Scream 7 director Kevin Williamson has admitted it was “form of a bummer” when Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera left the film.
Ortega, 22, and Barrera, 34, had portrayed the Carpenter sisters in 2022’s Scream and Scream VI in 2023, although the latter actress exited the upcoming sequel after Spyglass Media Group dismissed her following her controversial feedback in regards to the conflict in Gaza.
Shortly after, Ortega parted methods with Scream 7, although the Wednesday star’s exit has by no means been formally confirmed.
Now, Williamson, 60, has recalled the confusion he felt about what to do with Scream 7 after Ortega and Barrera left the flick.
Talking with Display Rant, the filmmaker stated: “It was form of, ‘Effectively, what’s going to occur?’
“After we misplaced Melissa and Jenna, and it simply seemed like we weren’t going to see the Carpenter sisters in a 3rd film, it was form of a bummer. It’s like, ‘What can we do subsequent?’”
Following Ortega and Barrera’s departure, Williamson and writers James Vanderbilt and Man Busick determined they needed to carry again Scream queen Sidney Prescott – as portrayed by Neve Campbell – for the upcoming slasher.
He defined: “After which this concept to carry Sidney Prescott again – and never simply carry her again, however to deal with her character, inform her story of who she is at the moment – that received actually thrilling for me. And I feel different folks received actually enthusiastic about it.
“After which they began writing a script. Jamie got here up with this nice story – Jamie Vanderbilt and Man Busick – and so they began to put in writing this script, and it simply form of took on a lifetime of its personal.
“After which Neve learn it and heard the pitch, and she or he signed on. And I used to be nonetheless simply the manager producer who was simply form of there, watching from the sidelines.”
In addition to Campbell – who had sat out Scream VI as a result of a pay dispute – different franchise legends are slated to return for Scream 7, together with Courteney Cox’s Gale Weathers, Matthew Lillard’s Stu Macher, David Arquette’s Dewey Riley and Scott Foley’s Roman Bridger.
Lately, author Busick teased there was a “actually particular motive” for Sidney Prescott’s return.
The scribe informed ComicBook.com: “I don’t need to give something away in regards to the motive [Scream 7] needed to be a Sidney film as a result of there’s a very cool motive.
“In all these films, it’s important to ask, ‘Why now? What’s the factor Scream is commenting on now?’
“Scream is all the time in a dialog with the viewers in regards to the state of films, the state of horror films and specifically, franchises.”
Busick added: “There’s a actually particular motive why Sidney is on this film. I’ll say there’s a motive and we had been proud of it after we cracked it.
“We went to Neve Campbell and stated, ‘This is the reason. This is the reason Sidney now.’ Neve was like, ‘Oh, I get that.’
“I pitched Kevin this primary, too. He received it after which I pitched the studio. I got here up with the story with my co-writer on 5 and 6, James Vanderbilt.”