While Jenna Ortega starred inScream(2022) andScream 6as Tara Carpenter, the popular Scream Queen won’t be back inScream 7. WhenOrtega joined theScreamfranchise for the 2022 reboot movie, she was still making a name for herself in Hollywood while finding a niche in horror. That year alone,Ortega’s horror moviesincludedScream(2022),X,Studio 666, andAmerican Carnage. Her star power soon skyrocketed after landing the titular role in Netflix’s 2022Addams FamilyseriesWednesday, which Ortega followed with hit parts in 2023’sScream 6and Tim Burton’sBeetlejuice Beetlejuice(2024).
Ortega quickly established a legacy inScreamby survivingScream 5’s opening “kill” scene– a franchise staple. The actressstarred as Tara Carpenter, the younger sister of Melissa Barrera’s Sam Carpenter, the secret daughter of original Ghostface killer Billy Loomis. InScream 6, the sisters moved to New York City as Tara attended college with fellow Woodsboro massacre survivors Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin, living through yet another Ghostface attack by previous killer Richie Kirsch’s family. It was initially expected that the Carpenters would leadScream 7, until reports in November 2023 revealed Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega wouldn’t be returning.
Jenna Ortega Is Reportedly Not Returning To Scream 7 Due To Scheduling Conflicts With Wednesday
Ortega’s Exit Was Confirmed In November 2023
The day after it was reported in November 2023 thatMelissa Barrera had been fired fromScream 7following social media posts about Palestine and Israel,Deadlinereported that Jenna Ortega would also be absent from the next franchise installment.According to Deadline, Jenna Ortega wouldn’t be returning forScream 7due to scheduling conflicts withWednesdayseason 2. The outlet elaborated that, at the time,Scream 7still didn’t have a script ready, while Ortega was preparing to start shooting forWednesdayseason 2 in spring 2024.
Additionally, Deadline reported that thediscussions about Jenna Ortega leavingScream 7began before the actors strike, which lasted from July to November 2023. Therefore, while the news was announced in quick succession after Barrera’s firing, the reports suggest that Ortega’s departure wasn’t directly in response to her costar’s exit, despite speculation around the timing.
Scream 7 Casting Sidney’s Daughter Is The Wrong Path After Jenna Ortega & Melissa Barrera Exits
Why Scream 7 casting Sidney Prescott’s daughter is the wrong way for the franchise to try and cope with Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega’s exits.
Ultimately,Wednesdayseason 2filmed between April and December 2024 in Ireland. Meanwhile,Scream 7’s filming kicked off on June 16, 2025, leaving just a short gap between the two production timelines. It doesn’t seem very feasible that Ortega would be able to jump between the two franchises so quickly. Plus,Scream 7had already pivoted to a bigger focus on Sidney Prescott rather than the Carpenter sisters, so it’s unlikely that Ortega would have had a significant role anyway, even if she could have made the filming schedules work.
Scream 7’s Returning Core Four Characters Mean The Sequel Will Still Have To Reference Tara Carpenter
Given two members ofScream 6’s “Core Four” would already be missing from the sequel, it was expected that Chad and Mindy’s actors Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown would also be absent. However, the latter two’sScream 7cast returnswere later confirmed in December 2024 and January 2025, respectively. This means there should be representation from each era ofScreamso far (especially if Hayden Panettiere returns as Kirby Reed) inScream 7, but also makes it more difficult to ignore the elephant in the room.
Stu Macher
Scream(1996)
With half of the Core Four returning inScream 7, it would be strange to ignore the fates of Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera’s characters. For one, Chad and Tara began a romance that was still intact byScream 6’s ending, so it wouldn’t make sense for him to return without referencing what became of their relationship. Additionally, it’ll be the first Ghostface massacre without the Carpenter sisters since the Woodsboro killing spree in 2011, soScream 7will still need to mention the safety and whereabouts of Tara and Sam – just like Gale did with Sidney inScream 6.
Will Jenna Ortega’s Absence Hurt Scream 7?
Scream’s Massive Following Predates Ortega’s Introduction, But It Doesn’t Help With The New Generation
ThoughScreamhad already been one of the most popular horror movie franchises for over two decades before Jenna Ortega joined it, there’s no denying that her breakout role inWednesdayhelped increase the appeal ofScream 6. Ortega became a major box office draw for big horror sequels likeScream 6andBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, and while both franchises had been massively successful in their own rights after their respective 1996 and 1988 debuts, they were also trying to appeal to an entirely new generation.
With other confirmed returning characters fromScream, Scream 3, and Scream 6, it seems Scream 7 is working to cover all its bases for the target audience.
Ortega is still among the most bankable actors of her generation in Hollywood, soher presence played a substantial role in drawing in younger audiences for those two movies. However, now thatScream 7has Sidney as the lead again, it remains to be seen whether the 2025 movie intends to primarily target fans of the original trilogy or appeal to fans of the original films and reboot movies equally. If the former is the case, then Ortega’s absence may not be as detrimental as it would be for the latter.
Scream 7is officially set to release in theaters on August 02, 2025.
Still,Scream(2022) had a strong box office showingand critical response when appealing to the newer generation and original fans, and it premiered 10 months before Ortega’s star power took off in November 2022. WhileOrtega returning forScream 7would have helped boost the sequel’s popularity and appeal, it certainly wouldn’t be fair to imply that it kills the sequel. With other confirmed returning characters fromScream,Scream 3, andScream 6, it seemsScream 7is working to cover all its bases for the target audience.
