Melissa Barrera, Radio Silence, and Jamie Kennedy reflect on Scream 7’s uncertain past, creative shifts, and the untold future of Sam Carpenter.
In the months following Scream VI, the Scream franchise entered one of its most turbulent phases yet. What should have been a celebratory lead-up to the next sequel became an exercise in speculation — and loss.
Interviews promoting Abigail, the vampire-horror project reuniting Melissa Barrera with Radio Silence, reignited discussion about Scream 7 and the creative fallout surrounding it.
Melissa Barrera on her departure
The conversation began when The Hollywood Reporter revisited Barrera’s unexpected firing from Scream 7 in November 2023 — a decision made after her social media posts expressing support for Palestinian victims in Gaza.
“None of this makes me happy,” Barrera told the outlet. “It was just all sad because I really, deeply care about the franchise. It’s just bad that it had to happen like that.”
Her dismissal from the series sparked immediate backlash against Spyglass Media Group, the rights holder behind the decision. Later, both Jenna Ortega and director Christopher Landon exited the project, leaving Scream 7 adrift in controversy and uncertainty.*
“I actually don’t know what happened,” Barrera added. “He [Landon] was very excited about it and had great ideas for it, so it makes me sad.”
* Editor’s note: Following the controversy, both Jenna Ortega and Christopher Landon explained their departures from Scream 7, each citing their own circumstances.