The Big Picture

  • Melissa Barrera opens up about being cut from Scream 7 and her deep connection to the franchise.
  • Scream 7 will move forward with original final girl Neve Campbell and creator Kevin Williamson as director.
  • Barrera remains close with former co-stars from Scream, including Jenna Ortega and the rest of the "core four."

Back in the fall, just as Eli Roth’s holiday-themed slasher Thanksgiving was preparing to slice its way into cinemas, fans of another mega (or should we say meta) slasher franchise were hit with a gut-punch when it was revealed that Scream’s Spyglass Media had parted ways with Melissa Barrera. The actress had played a major part in bringing the film series back from the dead, having starred in both Scream (2022) and Scream VI, appearing as the new “final girl” alongside fellow then-up-and-comer, Jenna Ortega, until she was abruptly cut from the upcoming Scream 7. The news shocked fans, with many wondering where things would go from here. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Barrera opened up about what it felt like to receive the ax for a role that helped her breakout in Hollywood and whether she’d return to the movies if the opportunity presented itself.

“None of this makes me happy,” Barrera says of her firing, going on to explain that her life was woven in deeply to the future of Scream. “It was just all sad because I really, deeply care about the franchise. It’s just bad that it had to happen like that.” As we’ve come to learn from Scream and other horror movies in the same vein, you can never fully count a character out until you literally see their bodies placed six feet under - and even then, there’s always room for a comeback. Because Barrera’s Sam Carpenter wasn’t killed off in the last film, she said,

“I’ve learned to never say never, but also a lot of things would have to happen for Sam to come back. For now, next page, next chapter, and then we’ll see what the future holds.”

What Is ‘Scream’s Next Move?

As for that “next page, next chapter,” Scream 7 will be moving forward with the franchise’s original final girl, Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott. After being involved with the first five films, Campbell stepped down from number six due to payment disputes. Ultimately, she would return along with Kevin Williamson, the man who created the beloved series, who will serve as the director for the first time in the franchise's history. During her chat with THR, Barrera was asked if she and Campbell had touched base about the Wild Things star’s role reprisal, to which Barrera paused before pleading the fifth.

You know what they say - a group of friends who dodge knives together, stay together. Okay, so that might be a saying that we just made up, but it’s something that rings true for Barrera and several of her co-stars from Scream (2022) and Scream VI. The Abigail actress also opened up about her relationship with the folks she worked with in the last two films of the Wes Craven-created franchise. Despite no longer being part of “The Core Four” on camera, Barrera says that the group still sticks together. Speaking about her pals Jasmin Savoy Brown, Liana Liberato, and Jack Quaid, Barrera said: “We’ll plan little reunions to play board games because that’s what we used to do when we were shooting.”

And then there’s Barrera’s relationship with her on-screen sister, Ortega. Though both women are no longer involved with Scream, Barrera says, “We’re sisters for life,” adding that after the news of their respective departures from the franchise, “We chatted for a while, and I love her so much. She’s been very supportive of me.”

As of right now, Scream 7 hasn’t set a release window but stay tuned to Collider for more information. In the meantime, Barerra can next be seen in Abigail, which hits theaters on April 19.

Alisha Weir on the poster for Abigail
Abigail (2024)
RHorrorThriller

After a group of criminals kidnap the ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, they retreat to an isolated mansion, unaware that they're locked inside with no normal little girl.

Release Date
April 19, 2024
Director
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin , Tyler Gillett
Cast
Kathryn Newton , Dan Stevens , Giancarlo Esposito , Kevin Durand , Melissa Barrera , Alisha Weir , Angus Cloud , William Catlett
Main Genre
Horror
Writers
Guy Busick , Stephen Shields
Studio(s)
Radio Silence Productions
Distributor(s)
Universal Pictures
Franchise(s)
Dracula , Universal Monsters

Find Tickets Now