Scream 7 Director Reacts To Controversial Melissa Barrera Firing

The film industry has been abuzz since news broke that "Scream" star Melissa Barrera was fired from the upcoming "Scream 7." After Variety reported that the actor, who plays Sam Carpenter in the horror franchise, had been removed by Spyglass Media due to several social media posts in support of Palestine amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, the news was subsequently confirmed by the film's production company. The decision has proven highly controversial, with Spyglass Media opining that Barrera's online rhetoric was hateful and antisemitic while others suggest the actor has been pushed out of Hollywood for simply voicing a pro-Palestine stance.

Amid the controversy, "Scream 7" director Christopher Landon opted to release a statement on the matter via X (formerly Twitter). Landon's post starts with "This is my statement," along with a broken heart emoji. It continues: "Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make." The message was subsequently deleted shortly after its original posting.

"Scream 7" is the first film in the franchise that Christopher Landon is spearheading, as he takes over directorial duties from "Scream 6" directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. The film currently lacks any release date or window, and it is still unclear how Barrera's firing may affect the production moving forward.

Christopher Landon is the only major member of the "Scream 7" production to have directly commented on Melissa Barrera's firing thus far, but another major shift in the film's production has already occurred. In the wake of the incident, Deadline reported that Jenna Ortega, who stars in "Scream 6" alongside Barrera, will not return for "Scream 7."

Deadline suggested that Ortega's exit from the film is not a response to Barrera's firing, but rather a result of scheduling conflicts with the actor's other major projects, including "Wednesday" Season 2. Nonetheless, some users have noted that Ortega previously made social media posts in support of Palestine, with a 2022 tweet from her now-deactivated X account reading "Decolonize Palestine." With both Barrera and Ortega now seemingly out of the "Scream" franchise, it still remains to be seen whether the latter makes any official comment in support of her former co-star.

Meanwhile, Spyglass Media released a full statement to Variety regarding its decision, in which it takes a hardline stance against Barrera's comments. "Spyglass' stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech."