Scream 7‘s director Christopher Landon has confirmed he left the project “weeks ago”.
The Happy Death Day director was announced to be helming the seventh instalment in August, which would have marked his debut in the Scream franchise. He was supposed to take over from from Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who directed 2022’s Scream 5 and this year’s Scream VI and were set to serve as executive producers on the next film.
Following the high-profile departures of Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera and Neve Campbell, Landon has become the latest name to exit the film.
“I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited Scream 7 weeks ago,” Landon said on X yesterday (December 23).
“This will disappoint some and delight others. It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart did break for everyone involved. Everyone. But it’s time to move on.”
He concluded: “I have nothing more to add to the conversation other than I hope Wes [Craven’s] legacy thrives and lifts above the din of a divided world.”
I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited Scream 7 weeks ago. This will disappoint some and delight others. It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart did break for everyone involved. Everyone. But it’s time to move on. I have nothing
— christopher landon (@creetureshow) December 23, 2023
Landon’s departure means that Scream 7 is both now without a director or many of its leading stars.
Barrera had been fired from the film for sharing pro-Palestine posts on social media, resulting in fans vowing to boycott Scream VII, with many calling for other cast members to walk away from the project in solidarity.
Ortega had decided not to reprise her role of Tara Carpenter due to her ongoing involvement in other projects. She is due to head to Ireland to film the second season of Netflix hit Wednesday next year, and she is still completing the shooting of the new Beetlejuice film.
Campbell previously stepped down from the franchise around the time of Scream VI following a pay dispute, with many of her co-stars supporting her decision. However, it had been reported last month that Spyglass had been trying to bring her back for Scream 7 as part of a “creative overhaul” and had floated the possibility of bringing Scream 3 antagonist Patrick Dempsey back too.
However, it is important to note that Variety has claimed that neither Campbell nor Dempsey are in “active negations” for a return.