Melissa Barrera Works With ‘Scream’ Directors Again on ‘Abigail’

Melissa Barrera‘s latest collaboration with former Scream directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett is another spooky horror movie.

Universal Pictures released the first trailer for Abigail on Thursday, January 11, which features Barrera, 33, in a lead role opposite Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir, Kathryn Newton, William Catlett, Kevin Durand and the late Angus Cloud. The movie focuses on a group of kidnappers that capture the daughter of a powerful figure — who turns out to be a killer vampire.

Abigail was directed by Bettinelli-Olpin, 45, and Gillett, 41, who previously worked with Barrera on the fifth and sixth Scream movies. Barrera played Sam Carpenter as the slasher franchise introduced a new group of friends terrorized by the mysterious Ghostface murderer.

The actress was set to return for a third installment before news broke in December 2023 that she was fired due to comments about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. The production company behind the newest batch of Scream films, Spyglass Media Group, subsequently denied that Barrera’s pro-Palestine comments was what caused her exit.

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The Scream franchise won’t be the same after Melissa Barrera‘s firing and Jenna Ortega‘s departure ahead of the seventh film. Before the shocking dismissal, Scream became a horror staple spanning decades. The first film, which was released in 1996, focused on Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) as she faced off against numerous killers hiding their identity […]

That same month, Barrera broke her silence about the situation.

“First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people,” she wrote via Instagram Story noting she felt a “responsibility” to speak out. “As a Latina, a proud Mexicana, I feel the responsibility of having a platform that allows me the privilege of being heard, and therefore I have tried to use it to raise awareness about issues I care about and to lend my voice to those in need.”

She continued: “Every person on this earth — regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or socio-economic status — deserves equal human rights, dignity and, of course, freedom.”

Jenna Ortega will also not be returning in the role of Tara Carpenter because of her filming schedule for season 2 of Netflix’s Wednesday. Director Christopher Landon, who was set to succeed Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin, later pulled out.

“I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited Scream 7 weeks ago. This will disappoint some and delight others. It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart did break for everyone involved. Everyone,” Landon, 48, shared via X (formerly known as Twitter) in December 2023. “But it’s time to move on. I have nothing more to add to the conversation other than I hope Wes [Craven’s] legacy thrives and lifts above the din of a divided world. What he and Kevin [Williamson] created is something amazing and I was honored to have even the briefest moment basking in their glow.”

Related: ‘Scream’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

The horror genre hasn’t been the same since Ghostface asked Drew Barrymore that question in 1996. Three sequels and one TV spinoff later, the Scream franchise isn’t going anywhere. The first Scream film debuted in December, a month usually reserved for awards contenders and family-friendly holiday fare. Even so, it became a runaway hit, and […]

Despite the Scream drama, Barrera continues to find success in her career. She will also star in the upcoming horror comedy Your Monster, which will premiere at Sundance Film Festival this month.

Your Monster is based on Caroline Lindy‘s short film of the same name and follows a young woman who falls for a strange creature she discovers living in her closet. Lindy directed, wrote and produced the spooky rom-com. In addition to Barrera, Your Monster’s cast includes Tommy Dewey, Meghann Fahy, Edmund Donovan and Kayla Foster.