Dream job that turned into a nightmare: Christopher Landon exits 'Scream VII' as director

LOS ANGELES: It's time to move on, says director Christopher Landon, who has officially exited 'Scream VII' months after the embattled feature film lost two of its leads Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera.

The filmmaker announced his departure from the upcoming movie in the popular horror franchise on Instagram.

"I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited Scream 7 weeks ago. 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. But it's time to move on," Landon wrote.

The director, a creative voice behind the horror film series "Paranormal Activity", said he hopes the legacy of "Scream" series director Wes Craven continues to flourish.

"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. What he and Kevin created is something amazing and I was honored to have even the briefest moment basking in their glow," he added in his post.

In November, Ortega left "Scream VII", a day after Spyglass Media Group fired co-lead Barrera from the film over her social media posts referring to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

Ortega's exit, which was her and her representation team's decision, came before the SAG-AFTRA strike but was not made public until last month.