Fans of the Scream franchise suffered a blow on Wednesday when one of the stars of the recent installments, Melissa Barrera, was dropped from the next film after sharing views on Instagram on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
On October 7 Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking around 240 hostages to the Gaza Strip, according to numbers from the Associated Press. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza.
Barrera appeared as Sam Carpenter in 2022’s Scream (the fifth outing of the franchise) and Scream 6 alongside Jenna Ortega, who played her onscreen sister Tara Carpenter. It was revealed in Scream 5 that Sam was the daughter of the original Ghostface, Billy Loomis, so will her heavy links to the film’s legacy pose a problem now she has been removed?
Among her thoughts on the conflict, Barrera shared messages calling for a ceasefire as well as reposting an article that accused Israel of committing “genocide” in its strikes on Gaza.
Since the news broke, fans have asked if Ortega will appear in Scream going forward now that her ‘sister’ is no longer linked to the project, with many calling for a boycott of the franchise.
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One fan on X, formerly Twitter, said: “I hope Jenna Ortega quits Scream 7. I believe it would be the right thing to do. #Boycott.”
Another commented: “I’m waiting for Jenna Ortega to announce her departure from scream 7.”
“Praying Jenna Ortega drops from Scream 7. She doesn’t need that movie but they definitely need her. She’s the only reason the box office was as good as it was,” a third added
“If I was Jenna Ortega I would leave Scream 7 and just get my checks from Wednesday.”
Ortega’s portrayal of Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s Wednesday saw the show get renewed for a second season, so it is unclear if there were to be any scheduling conflicts with both projects in the pipeline.
Not only had Barrera’s departure caused a stir, but Ortega herself has also been vocal in the past and was once compared to Ye, formerly, Kanye West, over their shared “antisemitic hate”.
Last year, she shared several links on social media to various resources to help people in need, with one link to a site called Decolonize Palestine. Her outspokenness had been flagged by several followers who presumed that she may also leave the film or will be asked to leave.
A loyal fan quested: “Do they really think Jenna Ortega is gonna stand for this? Someone who’s also very vocal about Palestine? I wouldn’t be surprised if she follows suit. Throw the whole f****** movie away. #BoycottSCREAM7.”
Another chimed in: “Jenna Ortega has been showing support for Palestine for years as well, if she gets “dropped” who else is going to carry this already dead franchise on their back? #BoycottScream7.”
“Wait till they find out Jenna Ortega also supported Palestine and is practically their money maker right now,” a social media user added.
A spokesperson from Spyglass Media Group, one of the production companies for Scream 7 told Variety on Tuesday that Barrera was released due its “zero tolerance” policy on certain subjects.
They said: “Spyglass’ stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech.”
Newsweek has reached out to Jenna Ortega publicist via email for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.