A member of the Core Four addressed the departures of Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega from Scream 7 in an interview published in a new book.
Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror, authored by Ashley Cullins of the Ankler, tells the story of the Scream franchise, including what happened with Scream 7.
Among various interviews on the subject, Cullins spoke with Jasmin Savoy Brown, who plays Mindy Meeks, the daughter of Martha (Heather Matarazzo) and the niece of Randy (Jamie Kennedy). The character is a member of the Core Four, a new generation of Ghostface survivors who featured prominently in Scream (2022) and Scream VI (2023), along with Barrera as Sam Carpenter; Ortega as Sam’s sister, Tara; and Mason Gooding as Mindy’s brother, Chad Meeks.
Both Brown and Gooding are reprising their roles for Scream 7, but not the other two. Barrera was fired from the sequel after social media posts criticizing Israel’s actions in the war with Hamas were deemed antisemitic by production company Spyglass. Barrera adamantly maintains she’s not antisemitic.
Philippe Bosse/Paramount Pictures/Everett
Ortega’s exit was revealed in the days after her costar’s departure. At the time, it was reported that her commitments on Netflix’s Wednesday series already prevented her from a Scream 7 comeback. She has since stated, “The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart. If Scream 7 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.”
Brown now comments on the situation, telling Cullins in the book, “It’s been really sad and stressful,” referring to the past year.
“Often, actors are expected to know as much about politics as politicians. And, in today’s day and age, when everything is online, everyone thinks they’re an expert in everything, which isn’t the case,” she said. “I also think there is a clear difference between talking politics and standing up for people who don’t have a voice. It’s not politics, it’s human life.”
Brown went on to say that she hopes the Core Four can reunite at some point in the future of the franchise.
“I can’t imagine making this movie without Melissa and Jenna,” the actress, also known for Yellowjackets, continued. “It won’t be the same. On the flip side, I do care about this character so much, and I care so much about the people that care about her. I hope that someday — even if it’s 20 years from now — the Core Four gets back together on screen.”
Philippe Bossé/Paramount
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Scream 7 will now focus on Sidney Prescott and the family she built off-screen. Neve Campbell returns to her iconic role after sitting out Scream IV. Isabel May will play Sidney’s daughter, while Joel McHale will play Sidney’s husband, Mark Evans.
Alongside Brown and Gooding are Courteney Cox, Mckenna Grace, Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann, Sam Rechner, Anna Camp, Mark Consuelos, and Scream veterans whose characters were killed off in previous movies, including David Arquette, Scott Foley, and Matthew Lillard.
Kevin Williamson, another icon of the franchise who worked on the scripts for the original Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), and Scream 4 (2011), now directs Scream 7. He calls the next installment “a standalone,” according to the book, “but it’ll probably feel more like the original Screams than any of them, which is what I love about it.”
Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror is now available for purchase. Scream 7 is scheduled for theaters on Feb. 27, 2026.
