Los Angeles: The highly anticipated Scream 7 premiere at Paramount Studios became the center of controversy Wednesday night when dozens of pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside the red carpet event, calling for a boycott of the horror sequel.
Approximately 25-30 demonstrators, organized by Entertainment Labor for Palestine, CODEPINK LA, and Jewish Voice for Peace-Los Angeles, marched outside the Paramount Pictures lot waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans including “Boycott Scream 7” and “Free, free, free Palestine.”
The protest centered on the November 2023 firing of actress Melissa Barrera from Scream 7. Spyglass Media Group terminated Barrera after she posted social media content supporting Palestine following the October 2023 Hamas invasion of Israel. The production company stated at the time they have “zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form.”
Protesters carried signs reading “Cancel Paramount+” and “Stand For Free Speech Boycott Scream 7,” demanding the industry stop what they call the “silencing of pro-Palestinian voices” and “whitewashing of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
Scream 7 director Kevin Williamson, who stepped in to helm the project after original director Christopher Landon exited, offered a measured response when asked about the demonstrations.
“I saw them and my heart just sort of stopped,” Williamson told The Hollywood Reporter. “Look, we live in America. Everyone has a right to protest and everyone should be heard. And if you have your truth and if you want to stand up and be heard, you protest. That is your right in this country, and I stand by it. I support that 100 percent.”
Impact on Scream 7 Release
The controversy has significantly impacted the franchise. Following Barrera’s firing, co-star Jenna Ortega also departed the production, and director Christopher Landon left months later. This forced the cancellation of a planned three-film story arc centered on Barrera and Ortega’s characters.
Williamson was brought in to restructure the sequel, which now features the return of franchise veterans Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox. Filming commenced in January 2025.
“We believe that Melissa Barrera is a part of the Scream community and that it’s our responsibility to speak out when a member of our community has been harmed,” said protest organizer Nino Testa. “We refuse to let the franchise we love be used as propaganda for a genocide. We reject Hollywood’s racist blacklisting and censorship of any person who advocates for a free Palestine.”
Despite the protests, the premiere continued with stars posing for photos on the red carpet, though the demonstrators could be faintly heard in the background playing drums and trumpets.
Scream 7 is scheduled for theatrical release on February 27, 2026, today. Neither Paramount nor Spyglass Media Group has issued a response to the protests at the time of publication.
