Former Scream Star Melissa Barrera "Grateful" for Her Time in the Franchise

Melissa Barrera was fired from the upcoming Scream 7 last year due to comments she made on social media about the Israel-Hamas conflict, though that hasn't soured her past experiences in the franchise, as she recently revealed how "grateful" she is for what she brought to Scream and Scream VI. Similarly, the actor also expressed her love of her costars from those two films, as she recently reunited with them at the Motion Picture & Television Fund's 17th annual Evening Before benefit. The upcoming Scream 7 also won't feature the return of Jenna Ortega, who starred as Barrera's on-screen sister in the last two films, as scheduling conflicts for Wednesday Season 2 are reportedly keeping Ortega away from the sequel.

"I'm just so grateful of what I got to infuse in the franchise, and that's also something I'll be proud of forever," Barrera shared with Deadline.

Barrera joined the franchise with 2022's Scream, in which she played Sam Carpenter, marking the first entry in the series not to be directed by the late Wes Craven. Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin helmed the picture, which brought back original stars Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courteney Cox, while also introducing a "Core Four" of new characters. The directors, and the Core Four, all returned for Scream VI.

Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin parted ways from the series as directors, instead developing the upcoming monster movie Abigail, which Barrera also stars in. Happy Death Day and Freaky director Christopher Landon was attached to direct Scream 7, though parted ways in the wake of Barrera's departure. The film doesn't currently have an announced director or cast members.

"We're family for life. If we're ever in the vicinity of each other, we always find each other and that's what happened at that event," Barrera shared of her costars. "When we find each other, we just want to spend the night with each other, and nothing is ever going to change that."

Campbell opted not to return to the franchise for Scream VI, as she claimed that she wasn't being offered fair compensation for her efforts. Rumors claim that Campbell could be courted back to the series for Scream 7, while fellow member of the Core Four Jasmin Savoy Brown recently confirmed she hadn't yet been contacted about the upcoming sequel. It's unclear at this point whether significant development on the upcoming movie just hasn't happened yet in the wake of the creative overhaul or if the project is quietly moving forward, though exploring a story that deviates from the last two films.

Stay tuned for updates on the future of the Scream franchise.

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