Jenna Ortega reveals real reason she quit ‘Scream’ franchise
Jenna Ortega has revealed the real reason she quit the Scream franchise after starring in two movies of its reboot.
The actor was speaking to The Cut in an interview after the release of her most recent film Death of a Unicorn, when she discussed her sudden departure from the horror franchise in November 2023.
She had already starred in Scream and Scream VI in the lead role opposite Melissa Barrera, but the latter was fired from the production after making pro-Palestinian comments on social media amid the Israel war against Hamas, which were deemed by the producers, Spyglass Media Group, to be antisemitic. In the wake of Barrera’s exit, Ortega quit the film franchise the following day.
Now, she has discussed the reasons behind this, saying, “It had nothing to do with pay or scheduling. The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart.” She also referenced the fact that the directors of the previous instalment, Scream VI, Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, had already parted ways from the project as part of the incident.
Ortega added: “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.”
The Wednesday actor has previously been outspoken on the subject, telling Vanity Fair last year that she feels Hollywood is too “politically correct” and that: “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, it sparked some sort of debate, not an argument.”
Ortega’s next film project, the musical psychological thriller Hurry Up Tomorrow which also stars The Weeknd and Barry Keoghan, will be released on May 16th.
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