Scream 7, the next installment of the iconic horror movie franchise, has lost its director, Christopher Landon, who announced his departure on social media, Deadline reports. Landon, who is known for his horror-comedy films such as Happy Death Day and Freaky, was in talks to take over from Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the duo who directed the last two sequels, Scream and Scream 6.

Landon revealed that he exited Scream 7 weeks ago, and expressed his sadness and frustration over the situation. He said that it was a dream job that turned into a nightmare, and that he hoped that the legacy of Wes Craven, the creator of the series, would survive and thrive. He also said that he had nothing more to add to the conversation, and that it was time to move on.

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Landon’s exit came after a series of controversies that plagued the production of Scream 7. The first one was the firing of Melissa Barrera, one of the lead actresses, who was accused of posting antisemitic and hateful comments on the Israel-Hamas conflict on her social media. Spyglass Media Group, the studio behind the film, issued a statement saying that they had zero tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech, and that they had dropped Barrera from the film. Landon initially defended Barrera, saying that he was not responsible for her firing, but later deleted his post.

The second controversy was the departure of Jenna Ortega, another lead actress, who was unable to reprise her role due to scheduling conflicts. Ortega and Barrera played sisters in Scream 6, and their characters survived the attacks of the Ghostface killer and reconciled their relationship. Their absence in Scream 7 will leave a huge gap in the story, and will disappoint many fans who were invested in their arc.

Scream 7 is still in development, and it is unclear who will replace Landon as the director.