Melissa Barrera Denies Return to Scream Franchise

Melissa Barrera will not return to the Scream franchise, citing her dismissal from Scream 7 over social media posts related to the Israel-Hamas war. She stated in a recent interview that she would not work with the current rights holder, Spyglass Media Group, due to their handling of the situation. Barrera believes the company leadership unfairly labeled her, and they have never apologized. She expressed a willingness to return if the franchise were under different leadership that better honored Wes Craven's legacy.

Spyglass Media Group had previously issued a statement asserting zero tolerance for antisemitism and hate speech in any form. Barrera's departure from the franchise occurred in November 2023. Since then, she has appeared in the horror-comedy Abigail and the Peacock series The Copenhagen Test. Her former Scream co-star, Matthew Lillard, has publicly regretted his silence during her dismissal, stating he feels ashamed and was on the wrong side of history.