Why Fans Are Boycotting Scream 7
Fans of the franchise have vowed to boycott Scream 7 and Spyglass Media Group. They have started the hashtag #JusticeForMelissaBarrera and are declaring “No Melissa Barrera, No Scream 7.”
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Since its first installment in 1996, Scream has become one of the most prominent and beloved franchises in the genre, with Ghostface cemented as one of the most iconic villains. Although there were concerns about the film performing well, it went on to gross $173 million worldwide. The Scream movies are famous for uniquely blending black comedy, gore, jump scares, meta-commentary, and mystery. Scream was responsible for bringing the slasher film back into fashion, but unlike many of its predecessors—A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre—the franchise put the “whodunnit” back into slashers in such a distinctive way that it appealed to a whole new generation.
After Scream 4 (2011), the lowest-grossing film in the franchise, another movie wasn’t released for nearly 11 years. In 2022, Scream 5 was released as the first film in the series without the original late director Wes Craven. Although it featured the return of the OG characters—Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), and Dewey Riley (David Arquette)—the movie centered around a whole new generation. Sidney essentially passed on the final girl baton to Melissa Barrera’s Sam Carpenter, the daughter of the late Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich). Barrera and Jenna Ortega, who played Sam’s younger sister Tara, gave dedicated, phenomenal, and memorable performances. The two have a talent and chemistry which makes their characters feel real. Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding also cemented themselves into the hearts of fans as Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martins, twins and niece and nephew to the iconic Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy). The movie went on to gross over $138 million globally.
Scream VI saw The Core Four move to NYC and be stalked by a new Ghostface. It grossed over $169 million worldwide, $108 million of that number just in the US box office, becoming the first installment in the franchise to earn over $100 million domestically since Scream 2 (1997). News of a seventh installment was well received and drew up hype. So why are fans boycotting Scream 7 and declaring that “the Scream franchise is officially dead”?
Melissa Barrera dropped from Scream 7
On Tuesday November 21st, Variety reported that Melissa Barrera had been fired from the franchise due to her social media posts on the ongoing atrocities and genocide happening in Palestine.
The actress has been voicing her support for Palestine and trying to raise awareness through her social media stories. She compared Israel’s treatment of Gaza to a “concentration camp.” She wrote on her Instagram stories that “This is genocide and ethnic cleansing.” Barrera, a Mexican native, said that she knows what it’s like being from a “colonized country.” She also posted to her account that “Just like all Palestinians are NOT Hamas, all Jewish people are NOT the Israeli government. Do not blame, or hate on, a whole group of people because of what some are doing.” In another post Barrera wrote, “It is important for me to clarify that when I say FREE PALESTINE, which I will always advocate for, I do not in any way mean: Kill all Jews. It has come to my attention that some people have interpreted the chant as such and I want to clarify that as much as I want freedom and safety for Palestinians, I also want freedom and safety for Jews around the world. I believe that the masses that chant for Palestinian Liberation also value the safety of Jewish lives. So many of whom march hand in hand with us for Peace and Freedom.”
You can see (mostly) every single post and reshare by her in a thread here. Some of her re-shares have included posts from Jewish Voice for Peace, a progressive and anti-Zionist organization who has been working tirelessly to show solidarity with Palestine.
The post that brought her under more scrutiny was: “I have been actively looking for videos and information about the Palestinian side for the last 2 weeks or so, following accounts etc. Why? Because Western media only shows the other side. Why they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself. Usually the algorithm on social media gets the gist. Well…My discover page on IG will ONLY show me videos showing and talking about the Israeli side. Censorship is very real. Palestinians know this, they know the world has been trying to make them invisible for decades. Keep sharing.” She was accused of perpetuating the trope that Jews control the media, while many believe it was wrongfully misconstrued, as she was criticizing the media’s handling of reporting and referring to the known shadowbanning happening to Pro-Palestinian accounts on social media. Vox reports that “The concern from activists and digital rights observers is that content about Palestinians is not being treated fairly by the platforms’ moderation systems, leading to, among other things, shadowbanning.”
A spokesperson for Spyglass released a statement in response to Barrera’s removal: “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.” In a tweet with over 1.2K likes, an X user said of the statement, “ ‘False references to genocide’ is CRAZY as we’re sitting here reading reports DAILY of literal genocide taking place.”
Barrera released the following statement on her Instagram stories: “First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people. As a Latina, a proud Mexicana, I feel the responsibility of having a platform that allows me the privilege of being heard, and therefore I have tried to use it to raise awareness about issues I care about and to lend my voice to those in need. Every person on this earth- regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or socio-economic status- deserves equal human rights, dignity and, of course, freedom. 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.”
She has gained over 500k followers on Instagram since the news of her departure, so it seems many fans are in her corner.
Fans come to Barrera’s defense
Since news of her firing, fans have been taking to social media to voice their support for Barrera and many are calling on other fans to not only boycott Scream 7, but to also boycott Spyglass. Even the newly released slasher Thanksgiving (2023) is facing calls for boycott. One fan wrote, “not once did she lie, spread false information, or any hate speech justice for Melissa Barrera. Free Palestine and boycott Scream 7, any movie, or shows produced by Spyglass Production Company.” A big lover of the franchise said, “never in my entire life did I think the words ‘boycott Scream’ would come out of my mouth but here we are.”
Another fan took to their X account to say, “Whether you don’t want to hear it or not, Melissa Barrera IS THE SCREAM FRANCHISE right now. The new Scream movies are centered around Sam Carpenter. The new generation’s final girl. No Melissa Barrera, No Scream 7 #JusticeForMelissaBarrera.” A similar sentiment was expressed in another tweet that declared, “I love horror. I love Scream. But after what happened to Melissa Barrera, I cannot support any version of Scream VII without her. It’s utterly despicable the way they’ve treated her and it would feel wrong to watch VII knowing what happened.”
A tweet that has garnered over 26K likes reads, “They are carelessly lying on her name and disbarring her from any future work in Hollywood because statements like this will become attached to her name. On top of losing her work she’s lost her publicist like she quite literally put her career on the line.”
Many fans have been discussing how hard it is for Latina actresses, namely those who started off in Mexican telenovelas, to break out into Hollywood and how much of an inspiration she is for many. One said, “Melissa Barrera is the first Mexican final girl to have been recognized worldwide thanks to a fairly famous franchise like Scream, so that in the end they took away her job because she said ‘genocide bad’ is despicable. We are with you Melissa.”
A fan said “Prior to Scream (2022) Spyglass hadn’t produced a movie in 10 years” and that they should be set back another 10 by the fandom. Others express their anger over how “Zionists like Noah Schnapp are free to say the most vile comments and face no repercussions. Meanwhile people like Melissa Barrera can get fired just for supporting Palestine.”
In a since deleted tweet director Christopher Landon said, “This is my statement: </3 Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make.”
Jenna Ortega exits Scream 7
Deadline has reported that Jenna Ortega declined to return to Scream 7 due to scheduling conflicts with Wednesday and that the decision to fire Barrera was determined afterwards. However, some fans are speculating that Jenna, who is Pro-Palestine herself, made the decision to exit the series in solidarity with Barrera. Some have “brought out the receipts” and argued that since The Wrap reported in early October that Ortega was set to return to the franchise despite her busy schedule, this has everything to do with Barrera’s firing. Many believe it is “no coincidence.” Some say that by declaring scheduling conflicts, Spyglass just wants to cover its tracks: “Yes, I’m sure it was ‘scheduling conflicts’ for a movie that doesn’t have a script or a production schedule yet. Not to mention Jenna previously announced she’d return despite filming for Wednesday. This has everything to do with Melissa, the studio is just covering their tracks”
A big Scream fan account declared, “This year, SCREAM VI became the highest grossing entry in the series. In the span of 24 hours, Spyglass Media managed to tarnish the entire franchise by losing two of their lead actresses. One who was falsely accused of being antisemitic for denouncing genocide. Disgraceful.”
No matter where you stand—or what your thoughts are on Ortega’s departure—the reality of the situation is that the franchise lost its two biggest stars and the two characters who were directly responsible for revitalizing the franchise and attracting the following of a brand new generation.
There are discussions around a complete rewrite of Scream 7
Variety also reported that Scream 7 faces a rewrite and “full creative reboot.” Reportedly, Neve Campbell and Patrick Dempsey are being eyed for the horror sequel. Surprisingly, fans aren’t so keen on the idea: “THIS is just the kind of movie you’d like to show your fandom. If. You had. A fandom. #BoycottSCREAM7.” Many are claiming that “they don’t even want it.”
A fan says that Campbell shouldn’t take the role because “She would be disregarding the fact that it’s lead, and previously, her co-star, was fired and is being blacklisted,” and “she would be accepting the fact she is an emergency second choice that is only being asked to return because Melissa was fired.”
Many claim this is entirely disrespectful to Campbell, especially considering that she didn’t return to Scream VI because she was undervalued and failed to be paid her worth. A tweet stated, “imagine how insulting it would be to be Neve Campbell in this situation and only being offered fair pay as a last resort.”
“No matter what, Spyglass and Paramount will forever be remembered for their awful treatment of not one, but TWO female leads in a single franchise. Truly reprehensible sh*t. Give the rights to somebody else,” tweeted another fan. Some say they want Spyglass to sell the Scream rights to “a better suited studio.”
Some fans are saying they’re okay with Scream VI as the end to the franchise
Fans are expressing that as far as they’re concerned, the franchise came to an end with Scream VI: “I watched Scream VI last night and it was so heavy. It felt different. Like I was watching the last Scream movie. Like I was saying goodbye to a relative forever or something.” A feeling that has been echoed throughout Twitter is that, “in retrospect, leaving the Core Four in a happily ever after place in Scream VI was probably the best option.”
One fan said, “After killing a whole bloodline, Sam & Tara walk away in the streets of NYC with Danny. Gale, Kirby, Mindy & Chad are being taken care of at the hospital. Sidney learned the good news. No one wore the Ghostface mask ever again. They all lived a happy life. The End.”
In a tweet with over 51K likes, fans are calling the final scene of Scream VI “the beautiful, iconic final scene of the scream franchise.” Another tweet says, “what a way to end the scream franchise with Melissa Barrera dropping the Ghostface mask behind and Jenna Ortega leaving with her.”
Many can agree with the following sentiment: “Thank you Melissa for everything you did for Scream.. I still can’t believe this is real.. we will NEVER forget the impact you had on us nor the importance of your character or story.. I’m gutted this is the way it has to end…thank you for being our final girl.”
Projects featuring Melissa Barrera that you can support:
Finished:
- Vida (2018-2020), comedy series
- In the Heights, musical drama
- All the World Is Sleeping (2021), drama
- Bed Rest (2022), horror
- Carmen (2022), musical drama
- Keep Breathing (2022), musical drama
Upcoming:
- The Collaboration (in post-production), biographical drama
- Your Monster (2023), romantic comedy horror
- Untitled Universal Monster Movie (2024), horror
- Untitled dracula film with Radio Silence (she’s the alleged lead)
- The One, an upcoming horror with Riley Keough and Nichola Hoult
