Original ‘Scream 7’ Plan with Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, Explained

There’s a lot to know about why Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega aren’t in Scream 7, along with the original story idea for the horror sequel. The latest entry in the popular slasher franchise opened in theaters on Feb. 27, 2026 and stars Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, but all grown up and living in Pine Grove, Indiana with her husband Mark Evans (Joel McHale) and three kids, including teenage Tatum (Isabel May). It’s very different from Scream (2022) and Scream VI, which introduced Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega as sisters Tara and Sam Carpenter. Sam’s character arc included a big twist: she’s Billy Loomis’s (Skeet Ulrich) daughter.

If you saw Scream 7 on opening weekend, perhaps you agreed with the mostly negative reviews and were disappointed with this entry. Or maybe you were glad to see another Ghostface story on the big screen. Either way, here’s the behind-the-scenes story of why Barrera and Ortega didn’t appear in the final film. What would the movie have looked like with both stars in it? And does Scream 7 still tell a great story?

Why Did Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega Leave ‘Scream 7’?

Paramount Pictures

Melissa Barrera was let go from Scream 7 in November 2023 after social media posts about the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Skyglass Media said in an official statement, “Spyglass’ stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form.” Barrera gave her own statement that began, “First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.” She continued she will “continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom. Silence is not an option for me.”

Then Jenna Ortega left the movie, and the official explanation was because of her busy schedule filming Wednesday. But many weren’t so sure about that, and she shared more with The Cut in April 2025. Ortega mentioned Barrera along with the other creative change: directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin leaving the film. Although Happy Death Day and Drop director Christopher Landon was going to direct Scream 7, he also left in December 2023 and said in an April 2025 interview with Vanity Fair that he got death threats as some thought he was the one to let Barrera go.

Ortega said:

“It had nothing to do with pay or scheduling. The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart. If Scream VII wasn’t going to be with that team of directors and those people I fell in love with, then it didn’t seem like the right move for me in my career at the time.”

What Was the Original ‘Scream 7’ Storyline?

Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega in Scream VI

In a December 2025 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Skeet Ulrich talked about what Scream 7 was going to be about. He said he wasn’t returning for the movie and explained:

“When we talked about coming back for 5, it was a three-picture arc for Billy Loomis to slowly turn his daughter into the killer. Obviously, those things didn’t pan out, given certain things that happened. But, no, I know nothing about the seventh.”

Many fans thought that Sam would become a Ghostface killer, especially since there were hints in the fifth and sixth movies. It would have been interesting to watch Sam become connected to her dad in this way. After all, why introduce those (admittedly cheesy) de-aged scenes of Billy if this wasn’t where the story was going to go?

Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin spoke a little bit about their ideas in a February 2026 interview with EW. Bettinelli-Olpin suggested that the tone of Scream 7 would be bleak as they were thinking it was “going to f— you up.” Gillett added they thought they could “shrink it down and make it this like ultra-contained, almost continuous, like minute-to-minute thing.” Since the directors made the fantastic horror comedy Abigail, which mostly takes place in one location, it’s easy to imagine their vision coming to life. Maybe the Ghostface killers (Sam and someone else? Sam and two other people?) would trap Sidney and Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) somewhere, and the whole story would unfold from there. That would definitely be different.

As for Tara? According to Cinemablend.com, a YouTube account, Beyond the Mask, shared Tara would have died in Scream 7. However, it’s unclear if this report is accurate. Either way, if Sam were Ghostface, and Tara survived, she would definitely play a big role in figuring out who the killer is. Can you just imagine the epic final act between the sisters? Since they were somewhat estranged when we met them in Scream (2022), we know they have a complex past, and it would have been fascinating to see that history come to a head in a big confrontation.

The ‘Scream 7’ Box Office Broke a Record, But Is the Story Compelling?

Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) in Scream 7

Of course, given the controversial behind-the-scenes story of Scream 7, everyone was curious about how the movie would do at the box office. Scream 7 broke a record for the slasher franchise and grossed $64 million domestically during its opening weekend. Scream VI made $44 million during opening weekend.

While everyone waits to see how the rest of the movie’s theatrical run goes, there’s one big question: Does Scream 7 tell a good story? It’s tough to say yes. The other six movies have more engaging side characters, better dialogue, and more surprises. And, after hearing the plan for Sam Carpenter, it’s easy to wish that she had been part of the movie. Yes, it was important to tell Sidney’s final girl story. But then again, five movies told that tale, and it was exciting to watch Scream (2022) and Scream VI and see the Carpenter sisters caught up in a new scary (but not too scary, because this is Scream, after all) mystery.

It’s an understatement to say that the Scream 7 reviews aren’t great. MovieWeb’s Eric Goldman called it “reheated horror-movie comfort food,” and that’s a perfect description. Fans and critics want to know if the movie would have been more interesting if Sam had been featured. If the fifth and sixth movies tell us anything, it’s that Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin did a fantastic job taking on the slasher franchise. So, it’s not that tough to believe that they would have made another fun, funny, creepy, gory, and unique entry.

The truth is that any Scream movie is likely to make a ton of money at the box office, especially on opening weekend. But did everyone sit in their local theater (hopefully with some buttery popcorn) and wish Sam and Tara Carpenter were in Scream 7? Yes, it’s safe to say that was the case. Just like it was exciting to meet Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) in Scream 4 and see her again in Scream VI, the Carpenter sisters were a great addition to the franchise. Watching Sam as Ghostface would have been more than a little bit intriguing.