Melissa Barrera rules out Scream return under Spyglass

Melissa Barrera says she will not return to Scream while Spyglass Media Group controls the franchise.

She would consider coming back only if the rights moved to owners who would honour the legacy of series creator Wes Craven more closely. She set out that position in an interview with JustWatch, reported by Deadline.

Not with Spyglass. Barrera said the company’s leadership never apologised for describing her as antisemitic after her response to the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. She said even an apology now would not persuade her to work with the company again.

Spyglass dropped Barrera from the seventh Scream film in November 2023 over her social media posts about the Israel-Hamas conflict. The company said at the time it had “zero tolerance for antisemitism,” according to Deadline. News of the firing broke on 21 November, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Spyglass did not return a request for comment at the time, and had yet to announce any returning or new cast for the film then known as Scream VII.

The departure reshaped the production. Co-star Jenna Ortega exited the franchise after Barrera was fired. Director Christopher Landon also stepped away from Scream 7. Spyglass then turned to a familiar face, bringing back Neve Campbell in March 2024 to reprise her long-running role as Sidney Prescott, the central survivor of the horror series.

Barrera had joined the revived series in August 2020 in a key role for the Spyglass and Paramount relaunch. Campbell, the franchise’s original lead, was confirmed the following month to return as Sidney Prescott. The relaunch put two generations of characters on screen together, with Barrera and Ortega as new leads alongside Campbell and other veterans.

The series has since moved on without Barrera. Matthew Lillard is set to return for Scream 7, and recently said he felt embarrassed about coming back after Barrera’s firing, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Barrera has worked elsewhere, including on stage in Broadway’s “Titaníque,” according to Variety.

For fans, this draws a clear line under the current ownership. A return is not a question of timing or scheduling. On Barrera’s account, it would take a change in who controls Scream.