Actress Melissa Barrera said she is open to returning to Scream, but don’t expect to see her reprise her role as Sam Carpenter as long as Spyglass Media has the rights.
The Scream 5 and Scream 6 star opened up about what it would take to bring her back to Wes Craven’s legendary slasher franchise during an interview with JustWatch. Barrera explained that she still “loves the franchise,” but the people overseeing it are what’s keeping her from going another round with Ghostface.
“Not with the company that currently holds the rights,” she said when asked if she would return if she got a call to reprise her role. “I love the franchise. I had an amazing time making those movies, but a lot of the hate and difficulty that I’ve faced in the last years is because the leadership of that company made it a point to label me something that I’m not.”
“And they never apologized, even when I was proven right. Even with an apology, I wouldn’t go back to work with them – not that I’m holding my breath. I don’t think they have that ability.”
Barrera starred in two installments for the horror franchise and was set to return for a third run with Jenna Ortega but was fired by Spyglass following a series of pro-Palestine social media posts she published in late 2023. At the time, Spyglass said it has “zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate.”
“I pray day and night for no more deaths, for no more violence, and for peaceful co-existence,” Barrera said in a statement following her firing. “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.”
The Scream rights holder’s move was immediately met with backlash from fans for more reasons than one. Barrera had helped bring the franchise back to theaters after a decade without a new installment, and when she was unceremoniously removed as the lead of Scream 7, other talent happened to follow suit. Jenna Ortega departed Scream 7 just weeks after it all went down. Director Christopher Landon confirmed his exit just one month after Spyglass fired Barrera.
Paramount Pictures and Spyglass went on to release a very different vision for the franchise when Scream 7 premiered earlier this year. Although familiar faces helped it break records at the box office, the latest entry debuted to franchise-low reviews, as shared by Rotten Tomatoes. IGN gave it a 6/10. Scream 8 is also reportedly in the works.
Despite veering off in a completely new direction, Barrera said now that she’s open to coming back. For her, it’s not just about working under new management but honoring Craven’s legacy.
“If the franchise were ever to leave those hands and go into hands that would, I think, honor Wes Craven’s legacy more… I think, yeah,” she continued regarding her interest in a return to the franchise.
For now, Barrera remains uninvolved with Scream. Series star Matthew Lillard recently spoke up about his surprise return in Scream 7. During a recent Q&A (via Deadline), he said he was “embarrassed” to have reprised his role.
” I’m just gonna say, what happened to Melissa, the whole world didn’t pipe up,” he said. “She was like a year early on what the f**k’s going on, but the whole world should have piped up and said, ‘she’s right,’ and they didn’t. And that’s brutal.”
For now, Scream 8 has no release date. Although ideas for the next film are something that have been in the works behind the scenes for some time, there’s no information about who may show up in it.
Michael Cripe
Freelance Writer
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
