India, March 3 -- Hollywood star Patrick Dempsey has put an end to speculation about his return to the Scream franchise, confirming that he will not be part of the upcoming seventh installment. Earlier reports had suggested that the Grey's Anatomy actor might reprise his role, but Patrick clarified that scheduling conflicts prevented his involvement.

"It just didn't work out and we were dealing with the fires and everything that was going on and the schedule didn't work out, unfortunately," Patrick told Variety in a recent interview, referencing the wildfires that ravaged areas around Los Angeles in January.

The 59-year-old previously played Detective Mark Kincaid in Scream 3 (2000) and was initially expected to return for Scream 4 (201...