Scream star Matthew Lillard has confirmed he will be returning to the franchise for the latest instalment. The franchise was revived in 2022, with Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega taking on lead roles in the movies. Melissa starred as Sam Carpenter, murderer Billy Loomis' (Skeet Ulrich) daughter while Jenna took on the role of Sam's younger sister. In the original movie, Billy and Matthew Lillard's character, Stu Macher, went on a killing spree.

Billy, who was the original Ghostface, was shot in the head by Sidney Prescott, while Stu was fatally electrocuted when Sidney dropped a television on his head. Announcing his return, Matthew shared a video of himself writing one of Stu's iconic lines: "My mom and dad are gonna be sooo mad at me!!". While filming for Scream 7 has only recently begun, Melissa and Jenna won't be part of it. There has been controversy surrounding the movie as Melissa was dropped from the franchise after speaking out on Israel's bombing of Palestine on her social media prior to the ceasefire. One day after she was dropped, Jenna also departed the movie citing scheduling conflicts but fans have recently noticed the Wednesday actress has unfollowed the franchise on social media.

In one Instagram Stories post, Melissa wrote of the bombings and the tens of thousands of civilian deaths: "Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp. Cornering everyone together, with no where to go, no electricity no water ... People have learnt nothing from our histories. And just like our histories, people are still silently watching it all happen. THIS IS GENOCIDE and ETHNIC CLEANSING.".

A representative from Spyglass, the studio behind the Scream franchise, made their position clear with a statement: "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.". In support of Melissa, many fans vowed to boycott the movie, with many taking to social media to share their stance on the studio's decision to drop the actress. "Let's not forget Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega were let go for speaking out about the active genocide in Gaza. Paramount will fill up the cast with classic old characters to make you forget and to put your dumb butt's in seats," one user claimed.

"Scream 7 spoiling its own cameos this early in a last-ditch effort to build back hype is such a desperate move btw," another posted. One user added: "It’s insane that Scream is about retcon decades worth of storytelling and the world Wes Craven perfectly crafted, simply because Melissa Barrera was vocal for Palestine." One user pointed out that Jenna unfollowed the official Scream Instagram account.

After losing her job with Scream, Melissa revealed she was in a professional drought for about "10 months" and struggled to land significant roles. Speaking to The Independent, she said: "It was the darkest and hardest year of my life, and I had to reevaluate everything.". "There were times where I felt like my life was over," she added. "It was quiet for, like, 10 months. I was still getting offers for small things here and there – I’m not going to lie and say there was nothing – but [the message] was, like, ‘Oh, she probably doesn’t have work, she’ll say yes to anything’.".

The star rejected minor roles and parts that failed to excite her as she didn't want to 'work for work's sake'. She almost gave up on acting but the unwavering support of her loyal fans kept her in the game. She explained: "I rethink my career at least twice a year. Like, should I even be doing this? Am I even good? Am I ever gonna work again? Acting is my passion – I didn’t want it to just end.".

Following Melissa's exit from the franchise, Neve Campbell, the original scream queen, announced her return as Sidney Prescott in Scream 7, which is scheduled for release next year. She originally stepped away from the role due to "pay discrepancies". Director Christopher Landon also stepped down, with him being replaced with series' creator Kevin Williamson. Jenna previously spoke out on the controversy during an interview with Vanity Fair. The star criticised the acting industry for creating a hostile environment that forces celebrities to remain silent on political issues. The 22-year-old said: "The business that we work in is so touchy-feely. Everybody wants to be politically correct, but I feel like, in doing that, we lose a lot of our humanity and integrity because it lacks honesty.".