‘Racist blacklisting behavior:’ Scream 7’s release date gets stamped with #BoycottScream

Scream 7 has quickly gone from one of the franchise’s most anticipated entries to one of the most controversial. News of the release date reignited debate among fans, with many jumping on the #BoycottScream movement.

Director Kevin Williamson confirmed Scream 7 hits theaters on February 27, 2026. Fans rejoiced when Neve Campbell, who previously sat out Scream VI, announced a return to the franchise as original final girl Sidney Prescott. However, this excitement came after significant controversy concerning actor Melissa Barrera, who played Samantha Carpenter, the central protagonist in Scream (2022) and Scream VI. In 2023, Spyglass fired Barrera for posts on her social media accounts regarding the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. As reported by Variety, Spyglass deemed the comments “antisemitic,” saying:

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

Barrera defended her social media posts. In an Instagram Story, she condemned both antisemitism and Islamophobia while explaining her posts were aimed at “raising awareness.”

Many fans took issue with Barrera’s firing, believing the actor had every right to call for a ceasefire. When Scream co-star Jenna Ortega left Scream VI following Barrera’s firing, some suspected there was more to the story, despite Ortega declaring scheduling issues with Wednesday as the reason for her departure (reported by Deadline).

Fans continue calling for a Scream VI boycott

Scream VI has moved on, but parts of the fandom are reluctant to let the franchise continue without Barrera and Oretega’s Carpenter sisters at the helm. Given the nature of Barrera’s questionable firing, #BoycottScream7 continues strong on X.

Fans also started a Boycott Scream 7 petition on December 20, 2023, which calls Spyglass’s treatment of Barrera “racist blacklisting behavior.”

This isn’t the first time Spyglass has caused problems for the Scream “requel” movies. News broke out in 2022 that Campbell wouldn’t return for Scream VI, telling Variety that “the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise.” While that’s been settled in Scream 7, her return has been hampered by backlash, with many feeling that Campbell should’ve shown solidarity with Barrera and refused to reprise her role.

In addition to Campbell, Courteney Cox will return as Gale Weathers. With Barrera and Oretga out, it’s currently unknown whether the rest of the Core Four, Chad and Mindy Meeks, will make an appearance. Plot details for Scream VI are still relatively thin. However, Campbell confirmed that Sidney will take center stage once more.