10 Upcoming Movies That Are Already Doomed

Filmmaking is one hell of a tough business, and actually making a good movie is really only half the battle - there's marketing it and then having it embraced by the masses at the box office.

And while it's always fun when a movie becomes a surprise smash hit, it's more common that big, glossy studio tentpoles end up flopping catastrophically, especially in recent times where general audiences have needed a true Event to actually leave their house (see: Barbenheimer).

With so many big movies from the past year both underwhelming critics and failing to attract audiences, it's easy to point to the most endangered upcoming projects which may well already be doomed. These films, no matter the talented cast and crew behind them, are all at risk of flaming out with either critics or audiences, or perhaps more likely both in some cases.

Though it'd certainly be great to see these movies defy expectations and turn in stronger results than anyone expected, that's looking incredibly improbable at present. Instead, expect these films to all suffer one way or another when they release in the near-future...

On paper, putting out a seventh Scream movie should've basically been a piece of cake, especially as Scream VI was a bonafide smash hit, grossing more money at the box office than any of the three previous entries in the franchise.

Even with two recent strikes in Hollywood slowing down development of Scream 7, Paramount were nevertheless keen to get the ball rolling in 2024, with Christopher Landon being confirmed to direct the sequel over the summer.

But if subbing in Landon to replace the directors of the two previous films, Radio Silence, didn't give cause for concern, fans of the franchise were left shook when star Melissa Barrera was suddenly fired from the sequel by Spyglass Media Group due to pro-Palestine social media posts which some producers interpreted as anti-Semitic.

The very next day, co-star Jenna Ortega also announced her departure, officially claiming this was due to scheduling conflicts with her Netflix series Wednesday, though many noted the more-than-suspicious timing of her exit. Other reports suggested, however, that Ortega quietly quit the sequel months ago due to a salary dispute with Spyglass.

Either way, after Scream VI proved that the series could survive without Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), having its two new lead characters vanish without a trace for the seventh movie is a brutal blow.

While Scream VI could certainly be considered a decent enough ending for Barrera and Ortega's Carpenter sisters if they indeed never return to the franchise, it leaves Scream 7 in hugely dire straits. Will this force Spyglass to dump a truckload of money on Neve Campbell's lawn, or will they try to forge ahead by making the two remaining members of the "Core Four" - Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding) - the new protagonists?

Either way, on top of vocal outrage over Barrera's firing signalling a possible fan boycott, it's reasonable to lower your expectations for whatever Scream 7 ends up being.