Melissa Barrera reflects on being fired fromScream 7a year later. The star played the lead role of Sam Carpenter in the 2022 rebootScreamandScream 6, who is the biological daughter of the Ghostface serial killer, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) in the 1996 film.Barrera was dropped from the franchisein October 2023 as a result of statements made about Israel and Palestine on social media.
Barrera opens up about how being fired fromScream 7had affected her a year later. In an interview withThe Independentwhile promoting her new musical comedy,Your Monster,the star admitted thatit was “the darkest and hardest year"and there were times when she felt her “life was over.“Barrera revealed that things were “quiet” for “10 months,“and though there were still offers coming to her, big studios have been stirring clear from her. Instead, Barrera refocused her energy on promotingAbigail, a film she did beforeScreamfiring. Check out what she said below:
It was the darkest and hardest year of my life, and I had to reevaluate everything. There were times where I felt like my life was over. It was quiet for, like, 10 months. I was still getting offers for small things here and there – I’m not going to lie and say there was nothing – but [the message] was, like, ‘Oh, she probably doesn’t have work, she’ll say yes to anything’.
What This Means For Barrera & Scream
Barrera Is Seeing Her Career Bounce Back
BothYour MonsterandAbigailcame to the actor beforeBarrera’s high-profileScream 7firing. Prior to being fired from the franchise, the actor had reflected on branching out. While the “10 months of quiet” made her fear that her career might come to an early end, the actor is currently working her way back.Barrera is set to lead the new Western thriller,In the Cradle of Granite,and is working onan untitled Peacock thriller series with James Wan and Simu Liu.
Sam and Tara were able to fill in Campbell’s absence easily in the reboot, but the same trick doesn’t work in reverse due to the more complicated relationships at work.
Barrera won’t be the only heroine to be absent in the upcoming seventh installment in theScreamfranchise. Prior to her firing,Jenna Ortega dropped out of the upcoming film due to scheduling conflicts.On the other hand, after not being able to secure Neve Campbell inScream 6due to a salary dispute,the originalScreamstar is set to return forScream 7.
Our Take On Barrera Scream Firing
Scream 7 Needs To Think Outside The Box
Barrera and Ortega’s absence inScream 7won’t go unnoticed. Both Sam and Tara have been central to the reboot series' success. Losing them leaves a huge question mark forScream 7to solve. WhileNeve Campbell’s returnis part of the solution, she’s obviously not enough.
Sam and Tara were able to fill in Campbell’s absence easily in the reboot, but the same trick doesn’t work in reverse due to the more complicated relationships at work.The franchise is in talks with1883star Isabel May to play Sidney’s daughter, which only further complicates the timeline. The franchise still has a lot of figuring out to do beforeScream 7returns in 2026.
Scream 7
Cast
Scream 7 is the latest entry in the longstanding horror franchise, continuing the legacy with new chilling events.
