Last month, horror fans were shocked with the overnight announcement that Spyglass Media and Paramount blockbuster franchise Scream had dropped one of their starring actresses, seemingly without warning. As a follow-up to that, it’s just recently been reported that Spyglass met with the actress in an attempt to ask her back, to which she declined.
Melissa Barrera is a Mexican actress, known for starring in several Mexican telenovelas, but perhaps best known for her role as Sam Carpenter in the 2022 Scream film and Scream VI (2023), the last two installments of the Scream franchise. Jenna Ortega, star of the hit Netflix show Wednesday, stars as her younger sister, Tara, and the two scream queens dominated screens and the horror franchise over the last couple of years. Unfortunately, it was revealed last month that Barrera had been dropped from Scream VII due to posting pro-Palestine comments on her Instagram stories.
It was a decision that shocked millions, as the Israel-Palestine conflict has been rife with high tensions and has been the subject of much controversy and debate in the last few months. Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp, who plays Will Byers, also received backlash from fans, but for posting pro-Israel sentiments on his own personal social media channels. Fans were quick to draw comparisons between the two actors, saying that Schnapp had not been dropped from Netflix or Stranger Things despite his pro-Israel stance, while Barrera was immediately dropped from her franchise following her pro-Palestine comments.
Following the announcement that Barrera had been dropped, news came out that Ortega was also not returning for Scream VII, leading many to wonder if she had a similar stance, or if she had dropped out in support of her on-screen sister. It would be later revealed that Ortega had actually dropped prior to this due to scheduling conflicts between Beetlejuice 2 and Season 2 of Wednesday, as well as a pay dispute. In an attempt to pivot and regain a leading lady, rumors flew that Spyglass was attempting to get Neve Campbell to reprise her role after she was absent in Scream VI due to not receiving the amount of pay that she wanted, despite being the star of five Scream films.
In a post first shared to X/Twitter by @CriticalOverlo3 (and later reshared by @PopCrave), it was reported that Spyglass had allegedly recently met with Barrera in an attempt to have a conversation about her returning to the franchise and repair the relationship between the actress and the studio. In follow-up posts and a video posted to YouTube, it was revealed that Barrera refused to meet their conditions, which included removing all of her Palestine posts, condemning certain groups, and publicly confirming her retracted statements and beliefs. As of now, Barrera seems to have turned them down, standing firm on her beliefs, and leaving the next Scream installment down two actresses.
Spyglass tried to have a meeting with Melissa Barrera after the backlash they received for firing her, @CriticalOverlo3 reports.
Barrera reportedly “refused” to comply with their wishes. pic.twitter.com/eyfbLH372W
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) December 16, 2023
Clearly, Spyglass seems to still not have a star for Scream VII, and is rapidly working to try to fix that problem. With both Neve Campbell and Jenna Ortega not returning, Melissa Barrera’s refusal to meet their demands could be an unfortunate nail in the coffin on the franchise that has dominated the Halloween scene for almost two decades. Both Spyglass Media and @CriticalOverlo3 were unable to be reached for comment.
It is an unfortunate update to the story, especially considering the other elements when compared to Noah Schnapp and Stranger Things. With the fifth and final season coming to Netflix sometime soon, it’s possible the studio doesn’t want to replace one of their stars at the end of the franchise, despite calls to have him fired and replaced or written off altogether. Hopefully Barrera has made enough of an impact within Hollywood with her role as Sam Carpenter to find her footing with another studio and project, although only time will tell.
What do you think about Melissa Barrera reportedly turning down Spyglass’s offer? Let us know in the comments below!