Los Angeles — Protesters gathered outside the premiere of “Scream 7” in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, calling for a boycott of the film more than two years after franchise star Melissa Barrera was fired over her comments about the Israel-Hamas war.
Demonstrators were spotted waving Palestinian flags, playing drums and chanting, “David Ellison, you can’t hide / You’re supporting genocide” outside of the red carpet on the Paramount Studios lot. Entertainment Labor for Palestine, CodePink LA and Jewish Voice for Peace-Los Angeles led the protest.
“The demonstration called attention to the industry’s widespread silencing of pro-Palestinian voices and its whitewashing of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza,” CodePink LA wrote in its news release. “Protesters gathered outside the event to raise awareness about the Boycott ‘Scream 7’ campaign and urge audiences to refrain from supporting the film.”
“Scream 7” director Kevin Williamson told Variety on the red carpet that his “heart goes out to” the demonstrators.
“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,” Williamson said. “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.”
After the protest, Barrera posted, “I see you,” with a red heart on her Instagram story.
After Barrera referred to Israel’s wartime conduct in Gaza as “genocide and ethnic cleansing” on social media, “Scream” production company Spyglass Media Group fired her from “Scream 7.”
“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,” a Spyglass Media representative told Variety in 2023.
Barrera’s co-star Jenna Ortega left the horror franchise the day after Spyglass’ announcement. She later told the Cut that her decision “had nothing to do with pay or scheduling,” as initially reported. Original director Christopher Landon exited the film shortly after.
“The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart,” Ortega told the Cut. “If ‘Scream VII’ wasn’t going to be with that team of directors and those people I fell in love with, then it didn’t seem like the right move for me in my career at the time.”
The film moved forward with Neve Campbell returning to star and Williamson — the franchise creator — directing “Scream 7.”
Paramount did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In September, Ortega and Barrera joined more than 5,000 film figures pledging to boycott the Israeli movie industry in an open letter by Film Workers for Palestine. The signatories promised to not “screen films, appear at or otherwise work with Israeli film institutions … that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.”
In response, about 1,200 other Hollywood figures signed another letter rejecting the boycott — a reflection of the divide in Hollywood over the war in Gaza.
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