Former ‘Scream VII’ Director Discusses His ‘Painful’ Exit From the Franchise

When writer-director Christopher Landon departed “Scream VII” in 2023, there was what he says really happened and then there was a perceived story of what went down.

via: EW

Filmmaker Christopher Landon looks back on a particularly painful situation in his career: departing Scream 7 after the firing of star Melissa Barrera and the uproar that ensued.

Ashley Cullins' new book, Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror (out now), chronicles the Scream 7 that nearly was. Landon, who came aboard to direct the movie when the original directors, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, exited, told the author that he then left the project "about a week after" production company Spyglass Entertainment fired Barrera over her social media posts about the Israel-Hamas war.

However, he then received numerous death threats and harsh criticism online for his perceived involvement in the actress's departure.

"I was still sorting through my feelings about everything that had happened. When it all went down, it was something I was trying to process in a private and balanced way," Landon said. "When you're a ­ public‑facing person, often people don't like that. People want an immediate reaction, and they want you to agree with them."

Landon, known for making notable horror films Happy Death Day and Freaky, said he only announced his leave from Scream 7 "after the threats got too intense."

He continued, "They were all screaming at someone who wasn't even on the movie anymore. There were a lot of people who thought I was some sort of villain. That really got in my head. It was painful, and it was painful to lose a dream job in such a sudden and bizarre way."

Barrera's social media posts in question criticized the Israeli government's actions in Gaza. Spyglass deemed her comments "hate speech," though the star maintains she's not antisemitic or Islamophobic and condemned "hate and prejudice of any kind."

Landon reiterated that he was not going to make a Scream 7 without Barrera. "There was no movie anymore. The whole script was about her," he said, referring to her character, Sam Carpenter, the daughter of past Ghostface killer Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich). "I didn't sign on to make 'a Scream movie.' I signed on to make that movie. When that movie no longer existed, I moved on."

The filmmaker then went on to make the movie Drop, starring Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar, which he said is "a love letter" to Wes Craven and "my homage to Red Eye." After leaving Scream 7, Landon said, "It took a minute," but ultimately, "it ended up being the best decision of my life."

Kevin Williamson has since come aboard to direct Scream 7 after writing the original Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), and Scream 4 (2011). Williamson also brought back Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott. The sequel has since been revamped to focus on Sidney's family, including her daughter (played by Isabel May) and husband (played by Joel McHale).

More details about the development of Scream 7 are included in Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror, available for purchase now. The next installment of the franchise will be released in theaters on Feb. 26, 2026.