Of all the horror franchises born over 20 years ago that continue today, theScreamuniverse may be the most successful. However, after the latest turn of events involvingMelissa Barrera, it has become quite a divisive horror franchise. The discourse is still strong, with fans relying on valid arguments from both sides.
After Melissa Barrera’s exit from the productionof the seventh chapter ofScream, the public outcry was instant, with many pushing for Spyglass Entertainment to give up the rights to theScreamfranchise. However, almost instantly, Neve Campbell’s return to the franchise was received with enthusiasm. Let’s not forget thatScream 6was the onlyScreamfilm that didn’t feature Campbell’s Sidney Prescott, the main character who carried an entire legacy on her shoulders. Fans who didn’t care for Radio Silence’s new take on theScreamfilms celebrated the possible return to basics, as no one fromScream’s new crew seemed to remain.
As we wait for more news to emerge from the set of the newScreamfilm, which will be directed byScreamalumni Kevin Williamson, let’s allow ourselves to theorize about the film’s direction and the possibility ofSkeet Ulrich’s return as Billy Loomis.
Why Is Melissa Barrera Out of the Scream Universe?
In November 2023,Melissa Barrera was removed from the production ofScream 7(still a working title, we suppose). Apparently, Barrera’s social media posts about the Israel-Palestine conflict weren’t in tune with Spyglass' stance, and Spyglass even accused her of being antisemitic. Immediately after, Jenna Ortega, another newcomer to theScreamfranchise and Barrera’s co-star inScream(2022)andScream 6,left the project, and this time the reasons called for more speculation. Ortega reportedly left the project due to scheduling conflicts, though the timing of her exit saw some fans claim she was leaving to support her co-star Barrera.
In any case,the two new stars were out, and then the news stayed dormant for a while. Then, the news broke that Campbell would return to the franchise after new negotiations. It was also revealed thatmore legacy characters would return to the world ofScreamfor Kevin Williamson’s attempt at reviving the franchise after the media frenzy, which is still giving people something to discuss.
Can the Scream Franchise Survive With a Legacy Character in the Lead?
Let’s be honest.Campbell’s return to the franchise was inevitable.Scream 6was a solid movie that contributed to theScream-verse with a good storyline about the legacy of violence, and it even became the highest-grossing film in the franchise, but Sidney Prescott is simply essential to Ghostface’s adventures. Even in the 2022 return, her role was deemed secondary, and the fans of the original film were left unsatisfied. Clearly, this division still feeds today’s discussion of whether Campbellshould actually return.
But don’t get us wrong. New voices are necessary, and the new characters were also fascinating. The Carpenter sisters did a great job when facing the new iteration of Ghostface, and their backstories were intriguing enough to make for an entire reboot of the franchise. Legacy characters were great for nostalgia purposes, but they felt underdeveloped. A new film being placed on their shoulders would be risky, regardless of howthey would be brought back, especially those who were killed in previous entries.
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Ironically, one of the characters who was brought back and whose presence is entirely revolutionary to the newScreamuniverse is Billy Loomis. Loomis was the killer in 1996’sScream. Along with Stu Macher, he slashed and diced the Woodsboro population to make a statement that was related to Sidney. In the 2022 sequel, Sam (Barrera) is revealed to be Loomis' daughter, and she’s constantly visited by the spirit of her father. InScream 6,Loomis was featured as a central driver of Sam’s story.
Skeet Ulrich’s Billy Loomis May Not Return to Scream
Everything’s a theory up to this point. Very little info is officiallyconfirmed aboutScream 7;all we can do is speculate about what the writers could do and whose stories could be told. But some ideas are more interesting than others. In this territory of uncertainty, many took Barrera’s exit from the franchise as the definite factor thateliminated the concept of the Carpenters being featured as leads, but also of Skeet Ulrich’s return to the franchise. Not only would it be difficult for him to return without Sam Carpenter, but outside factors also contribute to the unlikelihood.
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Ulrich has also been vocal about Spyglass' decisions, calling the firing a “sad state of affairs.” The actor has been clear about where he stands in conflict with the producers. However, nothing is impossible at this point, and money makes people do things they wouldn’t be proud of in another situation. The only discussion that should arise is how the writers can bring back Billy Loomis outside the whole “coming back as a spirit” resource. Working in a “he wasn’t really dead” script move would be difficult to pull off and likely wouldn’t work with most fans.
Of course, theScream-verse doesn’t necessarily follow strict logic, and he could be brought back, but, unfortunately, without the bloodline connection of the reboot, a Billy Loomis return seems to be off the table for now. All we can say is thatBarrera’s exit makes Ulrich’s return all but impossible. However, with Campbell’s return, don’t be surprised ifotherScreamveterans, including Courteney Cox and Patrick Dempsey, are on board for the seventh installment.An official release date forScream 7has not been announced.
