The upcoming Scream 7 film has been plagued with controversy throughout its pre-production and mid-production phases. Originally, Christopher Landon was slated to direct the seventh installment of the popular horror franchise. However, this is no longer the case, as reported by Screen Rant. Landon initially stepped in when Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the directors of Scream (2022) and Scream 6, were unable to continue due to scheduling conflicts.

Shortly after Landon's hiring, Melissa Barrera, who played the main character Samantha Carpenter (the daughter of Billy Loomis) in the reboot films, was fired. This decision followed comments Barrera made regarding the war in Gaza. The public outcry over Barrera's removal quickly turned towards Landon, with many holding him responsible. Landon disclosed that he received death threats, some of which targeted his family, leading to FBI involvement. He described the situation as frightening and ultimately decided to leave the project, despite it being his "dream job," due to the intense scrutiny. Landon clarified that Skyglass Media made the decision to fire Barrera, not him.

Following these events, Jenna Ortega, who played Barrera's sister in the films, also departed from Scream 7. While initial reports cited scheduling conflicts as the reason for her departure, Ortega later revealed the true reasons in a Rolling Stone interview. She stated, "The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart…If Scream Ⅶ 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.”

Amidst these cast changes, Neve Campbell is set to return to the franchise, reprising her iconic role as Sidney Prescott from the original Scream films. Kevin Williamson, who wrote the screenplay for the original Scream (IMDb), is now directing the film. Scream 7 is currently scheduled for release on February 26, 2026.