Scream 7 cast: as Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega leave franchise, will Neve Campbell star in horror sequel?

The Scream franchise has seen the departure of two of its main stars, with Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega no longer expected to star in Scream 7. Barrera, who played Sam Carpenter in Scream five and six, was fired after making several posts about the Israel-Hamas conflict, and for resharing a post which accused the state of Israel of  ‘genocide and ethnic cleansing’.

Spyglass, the production company behind the Scream movies, dropped the actress and released a statement saying they have a ‘zero tolerance for antisemitism’, although Barrera does not believe her comments were antisemitic.

One day after Barrera’s firing, Jenna Ortega, who played Tara Carpenter (Sam’s sister) in the last two films, announced that she would not appear in the next instalment either. She cited schedule conflicts with her hit Addams Family spin-off series Wednesday as the reason for her departure.

With the loss of two of the planned leads for the next film, and uncertainty about further cast departures, producers are having to rethink the next movie. This is what we know so far, and who is expected to star in Scream 7:

Who is in the cast of Scream 7?

The cast list has not yet been confirmed and it is possible that some stars may choose to leave the franchise, but so far it is expected that several actors from Scream 6 will return - they are:

• Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin
• Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin
• Roger Jackson as Ghostface (voice)
• Josh Segarra as Danny Brackett
• Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed
• Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers

Will Neve Campbell be in Scream 7?

Neve Campbell, the original ‘final girl’ who played Sidney Prescott in the Scream films, appeared in the first five movies but decided not to return for Scream 6 over a conflict around equal pay.

Ahead of Scream 6 the actress said that the pay offer she received didn’t reflect the value she brought to the franchise. She later said that the pay issue was a matter of principal for her.

Creator Kevin Williamson is keen on Campbell’s return but she reiterated in September 2023 that she had not been convinced to come back. Unless she is offered a better deal it is unlikely that the actress will return.

Who will Scream 7 focus on?

It is believed that with Barrera and Ortega out of the picture, the next film will return the focus to one of its legacy characters, Courtney Cox’s Gale Weathers. If Campbell is convinced to return as Sidney then the sixth sequel will likely be a two-hander focusing on the long-suffering women.