Movies Scream VII director exits movie: 'It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare' "I hope Wes' legacy thrives and lifts above the din of a divided world." By Emlyn Travis Emlyn Travis Emlyn Travis is a news writer at Entertainment Weekly with over five years of experience covering the latest in entertainment. A proud Kingston University alum, Emlyn has written about music, fandom, film, television, and awards for multiple outlets including MTV News, Teen Vogue, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Paper Magazine, Dazed, and NME. She joined EW in August 2022. EW's editorial guidelines Published on December 23, 2023 04:43PM EST Scream VII has lost not only its leading ladies, but also its director. Christopher Landon announced on social media that he departed the franchise’s latest installment more than a month and a half ago, 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.” Now, Landon said, “It's time to move on.” “I have nothing more to add to the conversation other than I hope Wes’ 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.” Spyglass Media Group, which produces the Scream movies, and its studio, Paramount, did not immediately respond to EW’s request for comment. Landon’s departure from Scream VII comes one month after Melissa Barrera, who starred in the franchise's fifth and sixth installments, was fired from the movie after posting a series of messages on social media voicing support for the Palestinian cause and criticizing Israel's actions amid the Israel-Hamas war. The Happy Death Day and Freaky filmmaker seemed to address Barrera's firing at the time in a since-deleted social media post. "This is my statement," he wrote. "Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make." A day later, news broke that Jenna Ortega, who played Barrera’s onscreen younger sister, had also left the project due to a scheduling conflict, she said. Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more. Related content: Scream VII star Melissa Barrera dropped from film after posts about Israel-Hamas war Scream VII moving forward with Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon How the Scream VI filmmakers dealt with the absence of Neve Campbell's Sidney Prescott