'Scream 7' Director Confirms Exit: It Turned Into a Nightmare

"Scream VII" director Christopher Landon has exited the project shortly after the departure of the film's leading actors Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega.

Landon took to social media to explain his decision to no longer work on the franchise's latest installment, calling the project "a nightmare."

"I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited Scream 7 weeks ago," Landon wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday. "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."

Landon added that it was "time to move on."

"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," he continued. "What he and Kevin [Williamson, who wrote the screenplay for 'Scream'] created is something amazing, and I was honored to have even the briefest moment basking in their glow."

Landon's exit from "Scream VII" comes after Barrera, known for roles in the franchise's fifth and sixth installments, was fired after posting comments about the Israel-Hamas conflict on social media in posts that the studio behind the film, Spyglass Media, considered antisemitic.

"Spyglass' stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech," a spokesperson for the studio said in a statement to Variety.

A day after it emerged that Barrera had been let go, her co-star, Jenna Ortega, exited the "Scream" sequel. It was later clarified that this was due to scheduling clashes with the filming of the second season of her popular Netflix show, "Wednesday," in which she portrays Wednesday Addams in "The Addams Family."