UPDATE: A representative for “Scream 7” production company Spyglass confirmed the firing to IndieWire Tuesday night, with Spyglass clarifying that Melissa Barrera was let go from the project because her social media comments were read as antisemitic: “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,” the statement read.
Christopher Landon, taking over for directing duties on the seventh “Scream” film, also shared on X Tuesday night following the news of Barrera’s ousting from the movie: “This is my statement: 💔 Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make.”
EARLIER: Melissa Barrera is no longer a part of the “Scream” franchise.
A report that the horror franchise requel actress has been “quietly let go” from the upcoming “Scream 7” originally appeared in the print edition of Variety. Barrera’s exit is believed to be due to her social media support of Palestine amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.
IndieWire has reached out to Barrera’s representatives.
Barrera plays lead character Sam Carpenter, who grapples with her legacy of being related to the original Ghostface killer, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich). Sam tries to protect her half-sister (Jenna Ortega) and fellow classmates (Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding Jr.) from new murderers.
Mexican-born star Barrera had posted on her Instagram Stories, “I too come from a colonized country. Palestine WILL be free. They tried to bury us, they didn’t know we were seeds.”
Another post read, “Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp. Cornering everyone together, with no where to go, no electricity no water. People have learnt nothing from our histories. And just like our histories, people are still silently watching it all happen. THIS IS GENOCIDE & ETHNIC CLEANSING.”
Barrera also claimed there was “censorship” in “Western media” that did not accurately capture the atrocities on the Gaza Strip.
Variety had shared that Spyglass “quietly dropped” Barrera due to her social media posts that “referred to Israel as ‘colonized’ land and floated an antisemitic trope that Jews control the media.” Per Variety, a Spyglass representative declined to comment at that time.
Barrera has also starred in musical drama “Carmen” alongside Paul Mescal. “Scream 7” was announced in August 2023 with “Happy Death Day” director Christopher Landon taking over for Radio Silence, the directing duo that helmed the fifth and sixth films.
In addition to Barrera, Susan Sarandon has also been dropped by agency United Talent Agency (UTA) following her controversial comments at a pro-Palestine rally in New York City.
“There are a lot of people that are afraid, that are afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence,” Sarandon was quoted as saying at the rally.
Christian Blauvelt contributed reporting.
