Neve Campbell is the heart of the “Scream” saga, not Melissa Barrera.
The former actress starred in the first five films of the series, anchoring a franchise that mocked horror movie tropes. The latter appeared in installments five and six and appeared to be the youthful center of the franchise moving forward.
That was before her ugly, anti-Israeli comments got her booted from the seventh installment.
Now, with part seven about to hit theaters this weekend, the pro-Palestinian protesters are clamoring for a boycott of the franchise.
Good luck.
The seventh film in the saga is expected to make $40-45 million in its opening weekend. If the latter holds, it’ll be the biggest opening weekend of any “Scream” film.
Some boycott.
The bigger issue boils down to speech.
Palestinian protesters decried Barrera’s firing, saying it violated her free speech rights. Less than 30 showed up to the “Scream 7” debut in Los Angeles, shouting “Free Palestine” and “stand for free speech.”
They have some standing here, if only due to how hypocritical film studios can be on the speech front.
Some stars, like Bette Midler and Alec Baldwin, can say almost anything without fear of losing work. Others, like Gina Carano, got canned for far more inocuous social media posts.
Congrats to @ginacarano!
BREAKING: Disney, Lucasfilm settle Gina Carano lawsuit, signal desire to work with actress againhttps://t.co/A6lgofIofL
— Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) August 7, 2025
Barrera’s comments were gross and inaccurate, but should they rise to the level of dismissal? There’s a robust debate to be had here, except the same protesters are far too eager to shut down others who disagree with their world view.
It happens routinely in academic circles, including an event in Great Britain last month. The creative arts have been hit by the cancellations, too.
Just ask Michael Rapaport. The actor/comedian was hounded last year by far-Left, anti-Israel protesters. The goal? Make sure his show didn’t go on.
It did, but not always. But why target his speech?
He’s Jewish, and he supports Israel. For that, the mob wanted to silence him. And similar protests, often with more than a hint of violence, have silenced others, including Bari Weiss.
Free speech, you say? Better practice what you preach or kindly sit down.
Editor’s Note: It’s a brutal time to be an independent journalist, but it’s never been more necessary given the sorry state of the corporate press. If you’re enjoying Hollywood in Toto, I hope you’ll consider leaving a coin (or two) in our Tip Jar.
Disclaimer: This content was automatically imported from a third-party source via RSS feed. The original source is: https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/scream-7-protests-palestinians-free-speech/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=scream-7-protests-palestinians-free-speech. xn--babytilbehr-pgb.com does not claim ownership of this content. All rights remain with the original publisher.
