Filmmaker Christopher Landon once called “Scream 7” a “dream job that turned into a nightmare,” with the director only staying attached to the troubled production for a few months. In a new book about the “Scream” franchise, Landon spoke out about his exit from the movie — and the firing of reboot star Melissa Barrera. Barrera, who starred in “Scream” (2022) and “Scream VI,” was removed from the upcoming entry by Spyglass Entertainment in 2023 after posting comments about the Israel-Hamas war. In Ashley Cullins’ new book “Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror,” Landon comments on his own departure, which he said happened “about a week after” Barrera’s firing. “There was no movie anymore. The whole script was about her,” he said in an interview for the book.”I didn’t sign on to make ‘a ‘Scream’ movie.’ I signed on to make that movie. When that movie no longer existed, I moved on.” The “Happy Death Day,” “Freaky” and “Drop” director also noted that he initially took a lot of the blame for the actress departure — despite the fact that he was not involved in Spyglass’ decision. Landon admitted that it “took a minute,” but that his exit “ended up being the best decision of my life.” “They were all screaming at someone who wasn’t even on the movie anymore,” he said. “There were a lot of people who thought I was some sort of villain. That really got in my head. It was painful, and it was painful to lose a dream job in such a sudden and bizarre way.” In November 2023, Barrera, a vocal political activist, took to Instagram to express support for Palestinian citizens facing what she called “ethnic cleansing” in the wake of Oct. 7, saying, “Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp.” Spyglass quickly responded with a statement regarding Barrera’s removal, stating, “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.” The “Scream” star maintained that her comments were not hate speech, saying, “First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.” She has since said she’s made peace with the incident. “I was still sorting through my feelings about everything that had happened. When it all went down, it was something I was trying to process in a private and balanced way,” Landon said in “Your Favorite Scary Movie.” “When you’re a - public‑facing person, often people don’t like that. People want an immediate reaction, and they want you to agree with them.” Barrera’s removal became a black cloud hanging over the seventh entry in the “Scream” franchise (and the third movie of the 2022 reboot series). Landon was brought onto the sequel after Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (who directed the previous two films) exited to work on “Abigail.” Soon after Spyglass fired Barrera, co-star Jenna Ortega likewise left the project — thus removing half of the “Core Four” characters established in the fifth and sixth “Scream” movies. Though initial reports stated that Ortega’s departure was a result of scheduling conflicts with Netflix’s “Wednesday,” the young actress later cleared the incident up herself. “It had nothing to do with pay or scheduling,” she said in April. “The Melissa stuff was happening and it was all kind of falling apart.” Since then, a number of new and returning faces have cycled into “Scream 7.” Neve Campbell, who did not return to “Scream VI” due to a pay dispute, will return as a lead to the franchise alongside Courteney Cox. Kevin Williamson, who wrote “Scream,” “Scream 2” and “Scream 4,” will direct the film with a script from Guy Busick and a story by Busick and James Vanderbilt. David Arquette, Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley — all of whom portray characters who died in previous films — will also return for the sequel. Also returning to “Scream 7” are Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding, who play Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin. The two characters are twins and the niece/nephew of “Scream” character Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy), who died in “Scream 2.” Mindy and Chad round out the “Core Four” reboot characters alongside Barrera and Ortega’s Sam and Tara Carpenter. Brown said in “Your Favorite Scary Movie” that she “can’t imagine making this movie without Melissa and Jenna,” but is continuing due to her love for the character she portrays. She also noted that the time in the franchise since Barrera’s firing has been “sad and stressful.” “Often, actors are expected to know as much about politics as politicians. And, in today’s day and age, when everything is online, everyone thinks they’re an expert in everything, which isn’t the case,” she said in the book. “I also think there is a clear difference between talking politics and standing up for people who don’t have a voice. It’s not politics, it’s human life.”