A spokesperson for Spyglass Media Group released a statement to Variety regarding Barrera’s firing.
“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 Tuesday statement read.
Original story below:
Melissa Barrera has been fired from Scream VII.
Barrera, 33, was dropped from the upcoming film after sharing pro-Palestine posts on her social media, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The actress was reportedly axed from the franchise for social media comments that came amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.
“Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp,” she wrote via Instagram Stories, per the outlet. “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.”
Scream became a box office success after the first film was released in 1996. The slasher franchise focused on Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) as she faced off against a vengeful masked murderer called Ghostface. Courteney Cox and David Arquette also starred in the Scream films, which led to the creation of three sequels in 1997, 2000 and 2011.
Nearly a decade after Scream 4, Spyglass Media Group secured the rights to develop the next film. Barrera and Jenna Ortega were tapped to lead the fifth film and the subsequent sequels, which introduced two sisters stalked by a new Ghostface due to their connection to one of the original killers.
Barrera previously praised directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett for how they chose to shakeup the next chapter.
“We have the same team reprising [their roles behind the scenes]. In the fifth movie, there was a lot of pressure [with it being] the first without [late director] Wes [Craven] and they were still trying to honor him,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in July 2022 before filming the sixth film. “[They were trying to make] something that still felt familiar but had their own touch. … Now they’re putting a little more of their sauce into it and it just feels scarier.”
At the time, Barrera also weighed in on Campbell’s decision not to return for Scream VI after rejecting the studio’s salary offer.
“It’s hard thinking that we’re making a movie without her. We can’t get too hung up on that because we gotta make another movie,” she added. “Of course Sidney is present. Her essence is present in the movie, you can’t just ignore that. We were all heartbroken, but we totally understand and respect her decision and hopefully if we get to make another one, we can have her back.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Barrera’s reps and Spyglass for comment.
