Los Angeles, Apr 10 (PTI) — Director Christopher Landon has clarified that he was not responsible for Melissa Barrera’s removal from “Scream 7” and said he stepped away from the project after receiving serious threats.
“There were threats against my life and my family, so severe that the FBI had to step in. I received messages like, ‘I’m going to find your kids and kill them because you support child murder.’ Security heads from multiple studios and the FBI got involved to assess the situation,” he said in an interview with Vanity Fair.
Landon was initially attached as director for the next installment of the “Scream” franchise, which was set to star Barrera and Jenna Ortega.
In November 2023, Barrera was removed from the cast following comments she made about the Israel-Hamas conflict. Soon after, Ortega also exited the film. Landon later followed suit.
“I didn’t fire her (Barrera). Many people assume I was part of that decision, but I wasn’t. I had zero involvement or control in that matter,” he explained.
Ortega recently stated her departure was directly tied to Barrera’s dismissal and not due to salary or scheduling conflicts, contrary to earlier reports.
“All the Melissa stuff was going on, and everything started unraveling. If ‘Scream VII’ wasn’t going to include the directors and team I had grown close to, it just didn’t feel like the right move for my career at that point,” Ortega told The Cut.
Kevin Williamson has since taken over as the director of “Scream 7”.