A few months ago Melissa Barrera was fired from Scream 7, and after that, the film saw heaps of changes as her fellow co-star Jenna Ortega left and the director Christopher Landon stepped down. Now, the horror franchise is moving in a new direction and so is the Sam actress. However, while promoting her film new horror film Abigail, she opened up about the potential to return to the iconic horror franchise.
While it feels likely that Barrera won’t be back as Sam considering all the turbulence both she and the franchise have faced, she’s never saying never. Speaking to THR about everything that went down and her future with Scream while promoting her horror film on the 2024 movie schedule, she said:
I’ve learned to never say never, but also a lot of things would have to happen for Sam to come back. For now, next page, next chapter, and then we’ll see what the future holds.
Barrera was fired over posts she uploaded about the conflict between Hamas and Israel. Spyglass published a statement saying they have “zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form.” The actress then posted a reply saying she does not stand for “hate and prejudice of any kind.” The THR article noted that she has “maintained” that she does not know why her posts were seen as controversial.
Throughout this whole situation, the In the Heights star has been clear about how close she is with her co-stars from the franchise. Specifically speaking about her on-screen sister Jenna Ortega, the Sam actress said “She’s a good person and we love each other.” She also told THR that she remains close with her Scream family, including Jasmin Savoy Brown, Liana Liberato and Jack Quaid.
Based on her comments, it seems highly unlikely that Melissa Barrera will return to the Scream franchise. However, it’s worth noting that she also said anything is possible.
At this point in time however, she will not be coming back to the world of Ghostface, and we now know that Scream 7 is officially moving forward with a new director and lead. It was confirmed earlier in March that Neve Campbell would be returning to the franchise as Sidney Prescott, and Kevin Williamson, who wrote two of the best horror movies, Scream and Scream 2, is set to direct.
As for what the Sam actress is doing next, she’s starring in the upcoming horror movie from Radio Silence (the directors of Scream 5 and 6), Abigail, which will hit theaters on April 19.
So, while the odds of Melissa Barrera returning to the Scream franchise are slim to none, both parties are moving forward, and maybe someday in the future, if everything works out, they’ll reunite. Considering everything the actress and Scream have been through in the last few months, it makes sense that they are going in two different directions. However, as the actress said, it’s important to “never say never.”