Melissa Barrera questions Scream 7 box office, criticizes cast return after her exit
- By Asim Mallick -
- May 06, 2026
Actress Melissa Barrera has spoken out bluntly about Scream 7, raising doubts over its reported success and taking aim at those who chose to return to the franchise after her removal.
In a recent interview, Melissa Barrera suggested the film’s box office figures were overstated, saying she does not believe it earned as much as publicly claimed. The seventh installment was widely reported to have opened strong and crossed $200 million globally, but her remarks cast a shadow over those numbers, even though she stopped short of offering evidence.
The controversy traces back to late 2023, when Melissa Barrera was dropped from the project following social media posts related to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Her exit triggered a chain reaction. Jenna Ortega stepped away soon after, and the directing duo also departed, forcing the studio to rework the film before production resumed.
Fallout after Melissa Barrera exit
Despite the shake-up, Scream 7 moved forward by leaning heavily on legacy characters. Original stars returned, along with a few newer faces from the previous films. Melissa Barrera did not hold back in assessing that decision, suggesting those who came back effectively crossed a line and would have to deal with that choice on their own. She also pointed to what she described as a reliance on nostalgia to keep the franchise going after the disruption.
Still, her tone wasn’t entirely bitter. Melissa Barrera acknowledged that her time in the franchise remains meaningful, describing it as an important chapter in her career. She continues to interact with fans connected to those films, and, in her view, that connection hasn’t been taken away despite how things ended.
What comes next for Melissa Barrera
Since leaving the franchise, Melissa Barrera has spoken openly about facing fewer opportunities, though she remains active with upcoming projects, including horror and drama roles currently in development. Meanwhile, the Scream series itself is moving ahead, with another sequel already in the works and familiar characters expected to return.
For now, Melissa Barrera appears to be moving forward, but her comments have reopened debate around Scream 7—not just its success, but the way the franchise handled one of its central figures.