A group of protesters gathered around the red carpet premiere of Scream 7 at the Paramount Studios lot in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The group held signs advocating for free speech and a boycott of Scream 7 and Paramount+. The protest is a result of the sudden firing of Melissa Barrera, the star of Scream (2022) and Scream VI. The actress was fired her outspoken criticism of Israel and the war in Gaza, stating that the nation was participating in “genocide and ethnic cleansing.” Spyglass Media Group, a producer of Scream, subsequently fired her, stating that her posts were antisemitic. At the time, a spokesperson at Spyglass Media stated, “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.”

Kevin Williamson, the director of Scream 7, had this to say when asked about the protesters on the red carpet: “We live in a world where a lot of bad things are happening out there, and I think a lot of people want to be heard and they want to have their voice heard about the bad stuff that’s happening. My heart goes out to them. I don’t know if canceling Paramount+ is the way to do it. But I think people should listen to their inner self and do what feels good for them.” Williamson, who wrote the original Scream, replaced Christopher Landon as director after Landon stepped down from the project due top receiving death threats about Barrera’s termination. Jenna Ortega, who appeared in also appeared in the last two Scream films, declined to return for the seventh film. Some speculated that she left in solidarity of Melissa Barrera, but her official reasoning at the time was scheduling conflicts.

To make up for removing two main characters, Scream 7 features the return of Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott. The actress sat out of Scream VI due to a pay dispute. Alongside Campbell, Courteney Cox is returning as Gale Weathers. The supporting cast features Mason Gooding, Isabel May, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Anna Camp, Mckenna Grace and Joel McHale. Scream 7 is now playing in theaters.