Scream 7 trailer revives boycott calls over firing of pro-Gaza actress

The trailer for Scream 7 on Thursday was met with a surge of renewed protest, reigniting the controversy surrounding the 2023 firing of former lead actress Melissa Barrera following her pro-Gaza social media posts.

Fans and advocacy groups quickly mobilized on social media, calling for a boycott of the film, which is scheduled for release in February 2026.

The ethical schism at the heart of the franchise began in late 2023 when Barrera, who led the successful Scream reboot as protagonist Sam Carpenter, posted comments expressing support for the Palestinian cause.

Her posts included strong condemnation of the ‘Israeli’ assault on Gaza, which she referred to as “genocide and ethnic cleansing,” adding that “Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp”.

Spyglass Media Group, the production company behind the franchise, moved swiftly to terminate Barrera.

The company released an unequivocal statement, asserting a policy of “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”.

Barrera quickly countered the studio’s justification, stating she condemned “Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia” and vowing to continue using her platform for activism.

She concluded her public statement by affirming her commitment to speaking out on global issues: “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… Silence is not an option for me”.

The firing initiated a creative collapse, as Barrera’s co-star Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter) departed the project just one day later.

Ortega later clarified her exit was not due to scheduling, but because “The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart”.

The film’s then-director, Christopher Landon, also exited, revealing that he left because the “whole script was about her,” and without her, "There was no movie anymore".

Faced with a complete narrative void, the studio executed a dramatic creative retooling, securing the expensive return of franchise veteran Neve Campbell (Sidney Prescott) and original writer Kevin Williamson, who has stepped in to direct.