The firing of Melissa Barrera over statements about the Israel-Hamas war appears to have left he future of the Scream franchise, which has only been compounded with Jenna Ortega stepping away from the film and the studio looking to bring back Neve Campbell. While that situation is still being sorted out, Barrera addressed her dismissal from the franchise directly in a statement on social media.
Barrera started her statement straight to the point by saying she condemns anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and “hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.” She explains she feels a responsibility to use the platform she has been afforded to “raise awareness about issues” she cares about and has to give her voice to, in this case being the humanitarian crisis unfolding due to the war between Israel and Hamas, according to ScreenGeek.
She goes on to say that she feels no government or leadership is above criticism and that she wants the violence to end, potentially paving the road “for peaceful co-existence.” Barrera concluded by stating she would “continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom.”
Barrera's statement followed an eventful few days for herself and Spyglass Entertainment, with the latter firing her over previous comments about the conflict in Gaza. The earlier comments were enough for Spyglass to drop Barrera from Scream 7 almost immediately, saying “zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form.”
Barrera's dismissal was followed shortly after by news her co-star Jenna Ortega would not be returning for the sequel, citing scheduling conflicts with production for season two of Netflix's Wednesday.
The loss of both Barrera and Ortega appears to have left Scream 7 in a state of limbo and it remains to be seen how Spyglass chooses to move forward with the film.
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