Melissa Barrera, the star of Scream 5 and Scream 6, has stated she would consider returning to the horror franchise if Spyglass Media loses the rights. Barrera was dismissed by Spyglass in late 2023 following pro-Palestine social media posts, with the company citing zero tolerance for antisemitism. Her departure triggered a wave of defections from other talent, including Jenna Ortega and director Christopher Landon, significantly damaging the franchise's prospects. This matters because Barrera had been instrumental in reviving the Scream series after a decade without a new film.

The actress has made her conditions clear: she would only return under new management that she believes would better honour Wes Craven's legacy. Scream 7, released earlier this year without Barrera, achieved franchise-low reviews despite strong box office performance, receiving a 6/10 from IGN and poor marks on Rotten Tomatoes. Recently, Matthew Lillard, who reprised his role in Scream 7, expressed embarrassment about his involvement, criticising the industry for not supporting Barrera as she "was a year early" in identifying problems with Spyglass's leadership. An eighth Scream film is reportedly in development.