After almost three years, the highly anticipated horror film “Scream 7” was released in movie theaters on Feb. 27, 2026. Many worldwide movie goers and students at Hinsdale Central say the film has sparked debate among fans, with some calling for a boycott of the film. 

The scream movies are known for a series of movies blending horror and meta comedy. The seventh movie currently stands at a 32% rotten tomato rating and a 62% popcorn rating, meaning it was rated a more positively enjoyed film. However, people in the media are more upset with the trouble that happened behind the scenes and between the actors of the film. 

“I went to watch Scream 7 the day it was released, I really enjoyed the movie but after I read all the drama that happened with the actors and the amount of people refusing to watch the film on the media I became really invested in what happened behind the scenes instead,” said Affef Atassi, a sophomore. 

The controversy began after actress Melissa Barrera who starred in the previous two films, was fired from the project in 2023 due to her posts including her political opinions of the Israel-Gaza war. When fans heard about her removal many encouraged other fans to boycott the film in solidarity with the actress. Many protesters were seen outside the movie’s premier in Los Angeles criticizing the studio’s decision to kick her out due to personal political stance. 

Famous actress, Jenna Ortega, left the project following Barrera’s removal and saying that the film did not feel the same since she was fired. 

“I am a huge fan of Jenna Ortega, I love her acting in the previous Scream movies, when I heard she was not going to in the seventh movie I was not as tempted to watch it,” said Tala Dola, a freshman. 

The movie’s production company, Spyglass Media Group, justified their actions by claiming Barrera’s posts crossed the line into hate speech. Barrera claimed she was simply advocating for human rights. Following her firing backlash spread through the media and many fans believed it was unjustifiable to punish her for expressing her political opinions and called to boycott Scream 7 across all social media platforms

The film’s overall production was heavily affected by this issue. Many directors left the project in all, the script had to be re-written, and the story had to shift away from the characters played by Ortega and Barrera. 

“As someone who has watched all seven movies in the series, the new film felt wrong and the story line was all mixed up without the usual characters involved. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did the others,” said Iman Halabi, a senior. 

Despite the controversy and many calls for a boycott the movie seemed to perform well at the box office as it earned nearly $100 million dollars globally in its’ opening period.