The Fall and Rise of Scream 7: A Fired Star, a $500K Script Rewrite and Neve Campbell’s $7 Million Salary
Scream 7 is arriving amid controversy and commercial momentum: the seventh installment is tracking a North American debut between $45 million and $50 million while a chain of high-profile exits, a six-figure script overhaul and a heated public backlash have reshaped the film’s path to release.
Scream 7 Premiere Protest and Kevin Williamson’s Reaction
Dozens of pro-Palestine protesters marched outside the Los Angeles premiere for Scream 7 on Wednesday night. Some demonstrators waved Palestinian flags while others held signs reading "Cancel Paramount+" and "Stand For Free Speech Boycott Scream 7. " The crowd chanted "Boycott Scream 7" and "Free, free, free Palestine, " and some participants played drums and trumpets. The premiere took place at the Paramount Studios lot; the demonstrations could only be faintly heard from the red carpet, where stars including Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox posed for photos.
When asked about the demonstration, director Kevin Williamson said he saw the protesters and that his heart "stopped" before emphasizing that people in America have the right to protest and should be heard, and that he supports that right fully.
Why Protesters Targeted the Premiere
The march was led by Entertainment Labor for Palestine, CODEPINK LA and Jewish Voice for Peace-Los Angeles. Organizers framed the protest as calling attention to what they described as the industry’s widespread silencing of pro-Palestinian voices and the alleged whitewashing of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. The demonstration was also presented as a response to the firing of Melissa Barrera in November 2023, after she expressed support for Palestine on social media following the Hamas invasion of Israel in October 2023.
Activists linked the protest to a wider "Boycott Scream 7" campaign and urged audiences to refrain from supporting the film, which is scheduled to release on Feb. 27. An organizer and longtime fan, Nino Testa, said the action was meant to defend a community member and to reject what he called blacklisting and censorship of people who advocate for a free Palestine.
Melissa Barrera’s Firing and the Creative Fallout
In late 2023 Melissa Barrera, who starred in the 2022 "Scream" reboot and 2023’s "Scream VI, " was fired from the seventh installment by Spyglass after resharing social media posts that the production company judged to be antisemitic. Those reshared posts included an allegation accusing Israel of "genocide and ethnic cleansing" and a magazine article accusing the Israeli government of distorting "the Holocaust to boost the Israeli arms industry. " The decision triggered a strong fan backlash and a sequence of high-profile departures and changes on the project.
Jenna Ortega, who had risen to a higher profile since joining the franchise with Barrera, announced she would not return for Scream 7, citing scheduling conflicts with her hit series Wednesday. The film’s original director, Christopher Landon, exited the project after receiving death threats related to Barrera’s firing, even though he had not made the decision to remove her.
Creative Reboot: Kevin Williamson, Guy Busick and the $500K Rewrite
Facing a creative crossroads after the cast shakeups, producers tapped franchise veteran Kevin Williamson to take over directing duties. Williamson and Guy Busick, a writer on the previous two installments, co-wrote a rewritten screenplay to compensate for the departures of Barrera and Ortega. The cost of the rewrite has been pegged at roughly $500, 000, an expense described as manageable for a franchise of this scale.
Neve Campbell’s Return, Salaries and Franchise Calculus
Paramount executives had been concerned previously about carrying the franchise forward without Neve Campbell; she had not returned for Scream VI amid a salary dispute. Spyglass retained final creative authority on the project, limiting the studio’s leverage. Those earlier fears eased after Scream VI earned $161 million worldwide, the biggest global haul for the series since the first two installments.
With Jenna Ortega absent, the team sought a strong marketing hook. Spyglass chief Gary Barber is known as a tough dealmaker, but Neve Campbell returned with significantly greater leverage and secured a deal worth nearly $7 million. Courteney Cox, who has appeared in every Scream film since the original, was awarded a $2 million payday. Industry observers have pointed to Campbell’s return as a major draw for the franchise.
Box Office Outlook and What Comes Next
Scream 7 is tracking for a North American opening in the $45 million to $50 million range, a performance that would represent a series-best kickoff. The film’s release and early box office will unfold amid protest-driven controversy and the lingering effects of the late-2023 shakeups. Requests for comment to Paramount and Spyglass were unanswered at the time of publication. Recent developments indicate the situation may continue to evolve as the film reaches audiences on Feb. 27.
