{"id":40397,"date":"2023-11-23T14:04:09","date_gmt":"2023-11-23T13:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1798351"},"modified":"2023-11-23T16:54:36","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T15:54:36","slug":"scream-7-release-date-speculation-and-latest-cast-news","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/scream-7-release-date-speculation-and-latest-cast-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Scream 7: Release date speculation and latest cast news"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s been a massive cast shake-up. <\/p>

By David Craig\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 23 November 2023 at 13:04 PM<\/p>

\n\n

After enduring a long hiatus, Scream fans were treated to both 2022\u2019s Scream<\/a> and this year\u2019s sixth instalment, with a new creative team and fresh-faced cast giving the long-running series a new lease of life.<\/p>\n

Although Scream VII is still in the works, the franchise appears to have hit a bump in the road, with a couple of key cast members no longer returning for the sequel.<\/span><\/p>\n

In November, it was announced that Melissa Barrera had been dropped from Scream VII<\/a> after sharing a series of Instagram posts about the Israel-Hamas war.<\/span><\/p>\n

The next day, it was confirmed that Jenna Ortega would also not be returning to the horror franchise.<\/span><\/p>\n

By the end of Scream VI<\/a>, Sam (Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Ortega) had been firmly established as the future of the franchise, with many now calling for more stories featuring the sisters and their fellow survivors.<\/p>\n

So, why are Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega not returning for Scream VII? And what does this mean for the cast now? Read on for everything you need to know.<\/p>\n

Who will be in the <\/strong>Scream 7 cast<\/strong>?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"(L-R)\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding in Scream VI<\/span><\/figcaption> Paramount Pictures<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

While each of the core returning Scream cast members made it through the sixth entry in one piece, Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega will not be reprising their roles in Scream VII.<\/p>\n

Barrera was dropped from the film following her Instagram posts about the Israel-Hamas war.<\/span><\/p>\n

In one Instagram post,\u00a0Barrera wrote: \u201cWestern media only shows the [Israeli] side. Why do they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself,\u201d adding: \u201cWe don\u2019t need more hate. No Islamophobia. No Anti-semitism.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other posts shared\u00a0by Barrera included claims that Gaza was \u201ccurrently being treated like a concentration camp\u201d.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for Spyglass, the studio behind the Scream films, released a statement to Variety<\/a> saying: \u201cSpyglass\u2019s stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barrera has since broken her silence on the studio\u2019s decision, insisting: \u201cSilence is not an option for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In a statement shared on her Instagram Stories, Barrera said: \u201cFirst and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a Latina, a proud Mexicana, I feel the responsibility of having a platform that allows me the privilege of being heard, and therefore I have tried to use it to raise awareness about issues I care about and to lend my voice to those in need,\u201d the statement continued.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery person on this earth- regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or socio-economic status- deserves equal human rights, dignity and, of course, freedom.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She continued: \u201cI believe a group of people are NOT their leadership, and that no governing body should be above criticism. I pray day and night for no more deaths, for no more violence, and for peaceful co-existence. I will continue to speak out for those that need it most and continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The next day, it was confirmed that Jenna Ortega would also not be returning to the horror franchise due to her Wednesday season 2 shooting schedule.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ortega\u2019s exit was not influenced by Barrera\u2019s firing, according to Variety<\/a>, and was in the works months ago before the SAG-AFTRA strike kicked off.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Melissa\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega in Scream VI<\/span><\/figcaption> Paramount Pictures<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

As for the rest of the Scream VI cast, it was expected that Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown would reprise their roles in Scream VII.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, we could also see more from Hayden Panettiere\u2019s fan-favourite FBI agent Kirby Reed as well as Courteney Cox\u2019s tough reporter Gale Weathers, both of whom narrowly avoided death in the latest instalment.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s less certain whether original star Neve Campbell would return as Sidney Prescott, after the actor turned down Scream VI over a pay dispute.<\/p>\n

Sidney is referenced in the movie \u2013 confirmed to be alive and well \u2013 but her return would rest on Campbell and Paramount reaching a salary agreement. At this stage, there\u2019s no way of knowing if that will happen.<\/p>\n

Of course, no Scream movie would be complete without Roger L Jackson as the sinister voice of Ghostface, so expect to hear him down the other end of the phone in any future films.<\/p>\n

Scream VI also featured a brief reference to Matthew Lillard\u2019s character Stu Macher \u2013 one of the killers in the first film \u2013 which alluded to the possibility of him still being alive (as has long been speculated by fans).<\/p>\n

When quizzed on the idea, co-director Gillett told Entertainment Tonight<\/a>: \u201cAnything\u2019s possible\u2026 We brought back Billy as a hallucination.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, actor Skeet Ulrich has appeared in both 2022\u2019s Scream and Scream VI as a figment of Sam Carpenter\u2019s imagination, encouraging her to live up to her killing potential as his daughter.<\/p>\n

Scream 7 release date speculation<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Ghostface\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Ghostface in Scream VI<\/span><\/figcaption> Paramount Pictures<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

While Scream VII has officially been confirmed, a release date is yet to be announced.<\/p>\n

With many projects only just starting to resume filming following the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, we\u2019re unlikely to be reunited with Ghostface before early 2025.<\/span><\/p>

Scream 7 plot theories<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Ghostface\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Ghostface in Scream VI<\/span><\/figcaption> Paramount Pictures<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Scream VI paid close attention to the troubled mind of Sam Carpenter, exploring the strange urge she feels to don the Ghostface costume and become a murderer herself, just as her father did decades earlier.<\/p>\n

In the closing moments of the film, she drops a Ghostface mask at the scene of the final stand-off \u2013 having worn it during her fight with Detective Wayne Bailey (Dermot Mulroney) \u2013 potentially meaning she\u2019s leaving those frightening thoughts behind.<\/p>\n

However, if not herself, the discarding of the mask could provoke another twisted individual to take up the mantle \u2013 thus setting in motion another entry in the franchise\u2026<\/p>