Skeet Ulrich states planned Scream arc ended after Melissa Barrera firing

Actor Skeet Ulrich stated in an interview with Us Weekly that he will not return to the Scream franchise, according to reports from Deadline, the A.V. Club, and The Wrap. Ulrich explained that the removal of Melissa Barrera from the film series ended a planned three-film story arc for his character. The Wrap noted that Barrera was fired from the franchise in 2023, while Deadline reported the studio removed her over pro-Palestine social media posts. [1][2][4]

Ulrich portrayed original Ghostface killer Billy Loomis in the 1996 movie Scream, as noted by ComingSoon and The Wrap. He returned to reprise the role as vision-like hallucinations to his character's daughter, Sam, in the fifth and sixth installments of the franchise, according to Deadline and the A.V. Club. While the A.V. Club and ComingSoon identified her character name as Sam Carpenter, Deadline and The Wrap referred to her as Sam Loomis. [1][2][3][4]

The Scream film series was expanded with new entries by writers Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt alongside directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. Barrera joined the cast for the 2022 film Scream and returned for Scream VI in 2023 before the studio shifted direction away from her character's narrative line. [2][3][10]

Ulrich confirmed that his involvement was entirely tied to Barrera's character storyline, telling Us Weekly that without her participation there is no cause for his character to return. Consequently, the planned three-film arc for his character will remain incomplete as the production moves forward with future entries in the franchise. [2][3][4]