As “Scream 7” continues to be reworked after a series of setbacks that saw cast members and the director leaving the project, star Mason Gooding is confident the movie will still get made.
“If it could make money, I guarantee you, they’ll make it,” the actor told PvNew at Vanity Fair and Instagram’s pre-Oscars Vanities party on Wednesday night at Bar Marmont in West Hollywood.
But Gooding, who played Chad Meeks-Martin in the last two “Scream” movies, insists he’s not in the loop on where things stand today. “It’s one of those things where you wait to hear from the people that make the big decisions,” he said.
“Scream 7” began to unravel in November when star Melissa Barrera was fired by Spyglass, the film’s producer, because they deemed her social media messages about the Israel-Hamas war as anti-semitic. Then came news that co-star Jenna Ortega wouldn’t return due to a scheduling conflict with the second season of her Netflix hit “Wednesday.” about a month later, director Christopher Landon announced he had exited the film “weeks ago.”
“This will disappoint some and delight others,” Landon wrote on X/Twitter. “It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart did break for everyone involved. Everyone. But it’s time to move on.”
PvNew reported that the movie was being retooled before Barrera was fired, with James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, the writers of previous two “Scream” installments, working on a new script. “Scream” veterans Neve Campbell and Patrick Dempsey were on their wish list to return to the franchise.
“It’s all about keeping up with what feels like is the best movie for the fans,” Gooding said. “’Scream’ doesn’t exist without the people who enjoy is as much as they…If people want it, they will certainly try their best to see it happen.”
Gooding isn’t letting the holdup spoil his experience with the franchise because of the friends he made while making the movies. “The fact that we got to stay a family beyond the work is the most important thing to me. It never felt like we lost that.”
