Scream Star Melissa Barrera Joins Upcoming Universal Monster Movie

Scream VI star Melissa Barrera has more than earned her spot as a horror film icon – especially after her show-stopping moments in the finale of the latest Scream movie. Apparently, Barrera’s Scream director/producer collective Radio Silence (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett with producer Chad Villela) are feeling the same way, because they have reportedly tapped her for their recently-announced Universal Studios monster movie. 

No new details about the film have been revealed, other than the tease that it will do for another iconic Universal monster what Insidious and Saw franchise writer/director Leigh Whannell did for The Invisible Man in 2020. Invisible Man used the core concept of the classic Universal monster story and flipped it into a modern horror-thriller tale with deeper thematic roots. It will be interesting to see which monster Radio Silence is taking on, and what kind of concept they have planned for their take. As some of the hottest names in horror right now, everyone will be waiting and watching to see what takes shape. 

The script for this Untitled Universal Monster movie from Radio Silence is being written by Stephen Sheilds (The Hole in the Ground), with revisions by Guy Busick (Ready or Not). It was reported that this Universal Monster movie was originally supposed to be Radio Silence’s Scream follow-up before Paramount fast-track Scream VI. With that film now having earned $162.9 million on a budget of $35 million (a box office high for the franchise), it seems like it could be an easy flip for Paramount to turn out a third film in this reboot saga and tie it off as a trilogy. Especially since the new stars of the franchise (Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega) are only getting more famous (and expensive) by the day. 

When asked about what prospects for Scream 7 are looking like, “We hope,” is all Bettinelli-Olpin could say at the premiere. “We want to be watching Scream movies whether we’re involved or not for the rest of our lives.”

Barrera is more optimistic, already speaking about some of the things she would love to see happen in Scream 7: Nothing less than having Salma Hayek join the cast as her mom! “I am dying to work with Salma Hayek,” Barrera said. “It would be a dream if she played my mother. It would be amazing.”

Scream VI will be on streaming and home video soon. Scream (2022) is streaming on Paramount+. 

Source: Deadline