Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega at the premiere ofScream VIin New York City on March 6, 2023.Photo:Nina Westervelt/Variety via GettyMelissa Barrerahave a sisterly bond, both onscreen and off.In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporterpublished Thursday, Barrera, 33, touched on herfiring from theScreamfranchiseand how much she has appreciated her support from her former costars in the aftermath.Jenna Ortegaplayed Barrera’s character Sam Carpenter’s younger sister Tara inScream(2022) andScream VI(2023), and sheexited the next filmjust one day after news of Barrera’s firing. Barrera said, “We chatted for a while, and I love her so much.““She’s been very supportive of me, and we’re sisters for life,” she added of Ortega, 21.Barrera waslet go fromScream VIIin November 2023, after posting about the ongoing Israel-Hamas war on social media.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega inScream VI(2023).Philippe Boss/PARAMOUNTAt the time her firing was announced, Spyglass, the studio behind the films, said in a statement that it had “zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form.“Barrerasaid in a statement afterthat she was using her social-media platform “to raise awareness about issues I care about and to lend my voice to those in need,” and added, “I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.“News broke the following day that Ortega had also left the project, though theWednesdayactress’s departure was reportedly not connected to Barrera’s exit.Then, in December,Christopher Landon, who had beennamedScream VI’s director in August, announced he dropped out of the film. The filmmaker referred to the project as “a dream job that turned into a nightmare.“Barrera declined to comment toTHRabout whether she andNeve Campbellhad spoken about the latter’s recently announcedreturn to the franchise.Campbell, 50, revealed earlier this month that she was “so excited to announce” that her character Sidney Prescott would be back forScream VII, with franchise creator and original screenwriterKevin Williamsonon board as director.After first playing Sidney in the 1996 filmScreamand returning foreach of the sequelsexcept the 2023 sixth entry, Campbell revealed in 2022 that she’d made the “very difficult decision” tonot return for the sixth filmdue to a contractual disagreement.As for Barrera, despite her exit, she still hangs out with her former cast mates, including Ortega, plusJasmin Savoy Brown,Liana LiberatoandJack Quaid.“We’ll plan little reunions to play board games because that’s what we used to do when we were shooting,” she toldTHR.About her potential return to the franchise, Barrera (who reunited with the directors behind 2022’sScream, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, on the new filmAbigail) told the outlet, “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.”
Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega at the premiere ofScream VIin New York City on March 6, 2023.Photo:Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty
Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty
Melissa Barrerahave a sisterly bond, both onscreen and off.In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporterpublished Thursday, Barrera, 33, touched on herfiring from theScreamfranchiseand how much she has appreciated her support from her former costars in the aftermath.Jenna Ortegaplayed Barrera’s character Sam Carpenter’s younger sister Tara inScream(2022) andScream VI(2023), and sheexited the next filmjust one day after news of Barrera’s firing. Barrera said, “We chatted for a while, and I love her so much.““She’s been very supportive of me, and we’re sisters for life,” she added of Ortega, 21.Barrera waslet go fromScream VIIin November 2023, after posting about the ongoing Israel-Hamas war on social media.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega inScream VI(2023).Philippe Boss/PARAMOUNTAt the time her firing was announced, Spyglass, the studio behind the films, said in a statement that it had “zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form.“Barrerasaid in a statement afterthat she was using her social-media platform “to raise awareness about issues I care about and to lend my voice to those in need,” and added, “I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.“News broke the following day that Ortega had also left the project, though theWednesdayactress’s departure was reportedly not connected to Barrera’s exit.Then, in December,Christopher Landon, who had beennamedScream VI’s director in August, announced he dropped out of the film. The filmmaker referred to the project as “a dream job that turned into a nightmare.“Barrera declined to comment toTHRabout whether she andNeve Campbellhad spoken about the latter’s recently announcedreturn to the franchise.Campbell, 50, revealed earlier this month that she was “so excited to announce” that her character Sidney Prescott would be back forScream VII, with franchise creator and original screenwriterKevin Williamsonon board as director.After first playing Sidney in the 1996 filmScreamand returning foreach of the sequelsexcept the 2023 sixth entry, Campbell revealed in 2022 that she’d made the “very difficult decision” tonot return for the sixth filmdue to a contractual disagreement.As for Barrera, despite her exit, she still hangs out with her former cast mates, including Ortega, plusJasmin Savoy Brown,Liana LiberatoandJack Quaid.“We’ll plan little reunions to play board games because that’s what we used to do when we were shooting,” she toldTHR.About her potential return to the franchise, Barrera (who reunited with the directors behind 2022’sScream, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, on the new filmAbigail) told the outlet, “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.”
Melissa Barrerahave a sisterly bond, both onscreen and off.
In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporterpublished Thursday, Barrera, 33, touched on herfiring from theScreamfranchiseand how much she has appreciated her support from her former costars in the aftermath.
Jenna Ortegaplayed Barrera’s character Sam Carpenter’s younger sister Tara inScream(2022) andScream VI(2023), and sheexited the next filmjust one day after news of Barrera’s firing. Barrera said, “We chatted for a while, and I love her so much.”
“She’s been very supportive of me, and we’re sisters for life,” she added of Ortega, 21.
Barrera waslet go fromScream VIIin November 2023, after posting about the ongoing Israel-Hamas war on social media.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega inScream VI(2023).Philippe Boss/PARAMOUNT
Philippe Boss/PARAMOUNT
At the time her firing was announced, Spyglass, the studio behind the films, said in a statement that it had “zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form.”
Barrerasaid in a statement afterthat she was using her social-media platform “to raise awareness about issues I care about and to lend my voice to those in need,” and added, “I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.”
News broke the following day that Ortega had also left the project, though theWednesdayactress’s departure was reportedly not connected to Barrera’s exit.
Then, in December,Christopher Landon, who had beennamedScream VI’s director in August, announced he dropped out of the film. The filmmaker referred to the project as “a dream job that turned into a nightmare.”
Barrera declined to comment toTHRabout whether she andNeve Campbellhad spoken about the latter’s recently announcedreturn to the franchise.
Campbell, 50, revealed earlier this month that she was “so excited to announce” that her character Sidney Prescott would be back forScream VII, with franchise creator and original screenwriterKevin Williamsonon board as director.
After first playing Sidney in the 1996 filmScreamand returning foreach of the sequelsexcept the 2023 sixth entry, Campbell revealed in 2022 that she’d made the “very difficult decision” tonot return for the sixth filmdue to a contractual disagreement.
As for Barrera, despite her exit, she still hangs out with her former cast mates, including Ortega, plusJasmin Savoy Brown,Liana LiberatoandJack Quaid.
“We’ll plan little reunions to play board games because that’s what we used to do when we were shooting,” she toldTHR.
About her potential return to the franchise, Barrera (who reunited with the directors behind 2022’sScream, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, on the new filmAbigail) told the outlet, “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.”
source: people.com
