Post his exit from 'Scream 7', Christopher Landon in talks to direct 'Big Bad'

WASHINGTON: American film director, producer, and screenwriter Christopher Landon, who had earlier announced his exit from the project 'Scream 7', is working on a new project, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The filmmaker, best known for 'Happy Death Day' and 'Freaky', is in talks to direct 'Big Bad'.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate is in advanced negotiations to land the package that is based on the short story by Chandler Baker. The plot centres on a family that must survive a night in an isolated farmhouse as werewolves prey upon them.

The story "Big Bad" appeared in the horror collection Creature Features, which included tales from authors such as Joe Hill. Todd Lieberman and Hidden Pictures are producing the feature. This is Landon's first project since leaving 'Scream VII'. According to Deadline, Landon's exit from the horror movie franchise comes after Melissa Barrera was fired from the film due to her social media posts on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

After Barrera was dropped from the cast for the seventh instalment of the horror series, Landon posted he was not the one to blame for her exit. The post was later deleted. Owing to a shooting schedule, Jenna Ortega was also confirmed as not reprising her role in the franchise a day later. After receiving criticism on social media for removing Barrera from 'Scream VII', Spyglass Media issued a statement outlining their justifications.

"Spyglass' stance is unequivocally clear: 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," read a statement from the studio.

"It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart did break for everyone involved," Landon wrote on X announcing his departure. Scott O'Brien will oversee Big Bad for Lionsgate. Carly Kleinbart and Lieberman will oversee for Hidden Pictures. Alex Young is executive producing, with Lionsgate's Robert Melnik overseeing the dealmaking on behalf of the studio, reported The Hollywood Reporter.