Jenna Ortega Finally Speaks On Melissa Barrera's Scream 7 Firing, Says The Industry Is Too 'Touchy-Feely'
Jenna Ortega has finally addressed the firing of Melissa Barrera, from the Scream franchise. The two actresses played siblings Tara and Sam Carpenter in the 2022 revival of the slasher series.
![Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera (PC: Instagram/jennaortega and melissabarreram) Jenna Ortega Speaks Out on Melissa Barrera's Scream 7 Firing](https://www.pinkvilla.com/images/2024-08/1462370297_jenna-ortega-and-melissa-barrera.jpg)
Jenna Ortega has finally spoken out regarding her on-screen sister Melissa Barrera's firing from the franchise Scream. The two played siblings Tara and Sam Carpenter in the revival of the slasher series that came out in 2022. Although both were set to return for the seventh entry in the franchise, Barrera was unexpectedly cut from the film following controversial social media posts that got her fired and sent ripples through the rest of the production. Ortega's recent comments have suggested the industry dynamics given the context.
Melissa Barrera had been dropped from Scream 7 following the outcry over several of her social media posts that the Spyglass Media Group found antisemitic. This had set the film's whole trajectory aflutter. One day after Barrera's firing, Ortega also announced that she would leave, but under different stars, citing scheduling conflicts with the second season of Netflix's Wednesday. Speculation swirled as to whether that was actually her reason for leaving, but Ortega didn't address the discrepancy at first.
Jenna Ortega recently told Vanity Fair, in a discussion about the sensitivity that permeates the film and television businesses, that in his opinion, political correctness was somehow the 'focus' for the greater industry, often leading both to a loss in the level of honesty and in integrity. In her words, "The business that we work in is so touchy-feely. Everybody wants to be politically correct, but I feel like in that, we lose a lot of our humanity and integrity because it lacks honesty."
The abrupt departure of Barrera from the movie threw a monkey wrench in plans that had already been put in motion for Scream 7, as the story was hence supposed to follow the story of Sam and Tara Carpenter. Such occurred, requiring the call for series rewrites and reconfiguring the storyline. In the middle of this upheaval, though, Barrera appreciated Ortega for holding steady throughout the period of time.
She said she wished the industry could feel open and transparent more often during talks. She pointed out the talks that can help in raising some debates and not arguments. Ortega said, "I wish that we had a better sense of conversation. Imagine if everyone could say what they felt and not be judged for it and, if anything, sparked some sort of debate, not an argument."
It seems the need to go back to square one of development had to happen with Scream 7 due to Barrera and Ortega's exit from the picture. The upheaval also witnessed the director, Christopher Landon, leave the project amid the chaos created in the backdrop. Now the franchise will rope in Neve Campbell once again for Scream 7, putting her in the frame once more in the central role of Sidney Prescott. The new storyline will focus on Sidney and her children, with a time jump that will hopefully be a fresh new direction for the series. Campbell has been a fan favorite who opted out of Scream VI over a salary dispute, but she will now be back for one more go to reinvigorate the series.
The previous two Scream films had still been able to move the action from the original targets of the Ghostface killing spree to another motley crew of fresh-faced individuals, the actors Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown revealed. After Barrera's exit, that plan has been bludgeoned and it's now all on Campbell to bring new life to the series.
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