Melissa Barrera
Denise Truscello/Getty Images
Melissa Barrera was removed from her role in Scream VII after making controversial social media posts in response to the Israel-Hamas War.
In one Instagram story, she wrote, “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.”
Spyglass, the company behind the Scream franchise, did not provide a comment.
Barrera played a significant role in the revitalization of the franchise with her lead role in the 2022 feature Scream, which earned $137.7 million globally and brought together cast members from multiple generations. She also appeared in Scream VI, which was released in March and grossed over $168.9 million worldwide.
Happy Death Day filmmaker Christopher Landon will now take over directing duties on Scream VII, replacing the previous filmmakers Radio Silence. Filming had not yet started, and development had been slow due to actors’ and writers’ strikes. Spyglass is expected to reevaluate their plans following Barrera’s departure. Paramount will continue to handle distribution for the new film.
Earlier on Tuesday, it was reported that actor Susan Sarandon was dropped by talent agency UTA after making comments at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York City on Nov. 17.
