It looks like former “Scream 7” actress Melissa Barrera is punching back after her messy firing by Spyglass Media for simply speaking up on social media for the civilian population of Gaza in the wake of their genocide at the hands of the Israeli government and military.
In a recent interview with Variety, the actress, now working on Broadway with “Titaníque,” is making claims that Paramount Pictures (distributor now owned by Skydance/David Ellison) and Spyglass (the production company, which ultimately removed her from the shoot) have lied to the public about the box office numbers for “Scream 7” and its record-breaking success for the franchise ($63.6 million domestic opening weekend and $207.5 million global cume).
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“The reality is that ‘Scream’ is always going to be a big part of me because it was two years of my life, it gave me a lot, and I’m grateful specifically to Matt [Bettinelli-Olpin] and Tyler [Gillett] who gave me that shot. That hasn’t been soured for me. They don’t have that power.” When the interviewer reassured her that “Scream 7” had “sucked,” she said, “I know. And I think they lied about the numbers. I don’t think it made that much money. But at the stage door, I sign ‘Scream’ things every night.”
When asked about the old cast being recruited for “Scream 7” being seen as “scabby,” she agreed and said that getting those folks involved was the only way Spyglass could salvage the film after losing her and co-star Jenna Ortega. “Oh, one hundred percent. I think they all are. And they have to live with that. The only way they were able to make that movie after what happened was to nostalgia-bait as much as possible.”
Barrera’s pro-peace/Palestine sentiments have also led her to believe that speaking out has seen other women treated poorly, like fellow actress Susan Sarandon, and she added that she was told that other high-profile actors haven’t seen the same treatment. Going on to mention, she is hopeful to work with other actors in the future who have shared a similar stance (such as Sarandon, Tatiana Maslany, Hannah Einbinder, Poppy Liu, and Javier Bardem).
“I have a friend who works closely with Artists for Ceasefire who has access to a lot of these artists, and she gave me the real and said, ‘No, Melissa, they have not been affected at all.’ And so that’s why they’re able to be so vocal. So, I thought, ‘It must be nice to be able to speak your mind and not have to suffer any consequences.’ But we do need their voices…Because I was one of the first to speak up, to this day, there are still a lot of people in the industry who have a personal grudge against me…Those people still deny that what’s going on is a genocide. So, we’re never going to see eye to eye on that…I mean the people that accused me of being antisemitic, and the people that run Spyglass. And they’re wrong. Just factually wrong.”
For some extra context after Barrera’s firing, she said the following after the studio overplayed their hand by calling her tame social media posts “antisemitic” and “incitement of hate”: “I believe a group of people are not their leadership and that no governing body should be above criticism. I pray day and night for no more deaths, for no more violence, and for peaceful co-existence. I will continue to speak out for those that need it most and continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom. Silence is not an option for me.”
While Barrera didn’t see much public support, one notable person in her corner was filmmaker Boots Riley, who offered her a part in his latest film, “I Love Boosters,” and then started getting other offers. Still, she ultimately couldn’t do it. “You know who was the only person? Boots Riley. I love him. He reached out to me ten months later. I had ten torturous months of uncertainty, and no work, and suffering, and not even knowing if my team was on my side. It was terrible, and Boots sent me a message in August of 2024 and was like, ‘I got a part for you in my movie.’ And he offered me a part in ‘I Love Boosters.” And for some reason, once Boots sent me that message, I suddenly had five messages with offers in my inbox. It’s like he flipped a switch. I call him ‘The Wizard.’”
There has been talk from creator/writer/director Kevin Williamson (helmed and wrote “Scream 7” but won’t be returning) that they could be moving away from Sidney Prescott being at the center and possibly other older characters for the in-development “Scream 8,” so, for whatever reason (the abysmal criticial reaction may be part of that), they do seem to be stepping back from the nostalgia element for the next installment.
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