Scream Franchise is about to Scream Behind the Scenes
It’s a Scary Time for the ‘Scream’ Franchise
‘Scream’ franchise, ah! the franchise where the only thing scarier than Ghostface is a casting shakeup that has fans screaming in confusion. Grab your popcorn and hold on to your phone, because it’s been a wild ride lately.
Ring, Ring! Is that Ghostface calling, or just Spyglass desperately trying to salvage the seventh ‘Scream’ movie? After all, answering the phone can be risky in these movies, but not as risky as being the casting director.
The horror chronology :
First up in the horror lineup, is the firing of Melissa Barrera. Apparently, Spyglass didn’t like her social media posts, which they deemed as antisemitic. Note to self: Ghostface isn’t the only one watching; your Twitter feed matters too. Barrera’s firing, which was as stealthy as Ghostface himself, happened during the Israel-Hamas war when she decided to turn up the volume on her opinions. Talk about bad timing.
But wait, there’s more! Jenna Ortega, who was supposed to be part of the scream team, quietly exited stage left. The official reason? Scheduling issues. Unofficially? She wanted a payday that matched her newfound A-list status. Can you blame her? She went from ‘Scream’ support to Netflix stardom on ‘Wednesday.’ It seems Spyglass was hoping for a ‘friends and family’ discount on A-list talent.
The planner :
Now, Gary Barber, the head of Spyglass, is either a business genius or the budget version of Scrooge McDuck, depending on who you ask. He lost Neve Campbell over a salary dispute, but ‘Scream VI’ turned out to be a hit anyway. Barber’s philosophy seems to be: who needs stars or big salaries? Certainly not him. “He didn’t need Neve, he doesn’t need Jenna,” says an insider. Well, someone get this man a cape, because he’s the hero we didn’t know we needed.
‘Scream VII’ was supposed to wrap up a trilogy centered on the Carpenter sisters, but with both actresses gone, it looks like Spyglass is left stitching together a new plot from the remains of their original plan. Christopher Landon is still in the director’s chair, and James Vanderbilt is co-writing, so at least some familiar faces are still in the game.
While some insiders are calling the situation a “shambles” and “very raw,” let’s not forget – ‘Scream’ is known for interchangeable villains, ensemble casts, and legacy characters. A reboot might be just what the franchise needs or it could be the final scream before the credits roll.
In the world of ‘Scream,’ where the plot twists are as frequent as Ghostface’s phone calls, one thing’s for sure – the real horror is happening behind the scenes. Stay tuned for the next installment of ‘Scream: Casting Call Catastrophe.’ It’s bound to be a scream.
