Melissa Barrera Joins New ‘Scream’ Movie in Key Role

Melissa Barrera is the first new face to officially join the cast of the upcoming fifth Scream movie, coming in 2021.

Deadline reports that Barrera “has booked a key role” in Scream 5. (We’re not sure if that’s the official title yet.) Hailing from Mexico, Barrera co-starred in the movie adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical hit In The Heights, directed by Crazy Rich Asians filmmaker Jon M. Chu, scheduled for release next year. She also plays Lyn in the STARZ series Vida (pictured above), and she will soon star as the title character in Carmen, a modern-day reimagining of the classic opera.

As previously announced, Barrera joins returning legacy cast members Courteney Cox, reprising her role as Gale Weathers, and David Arquette, reprising his role as Dewey Riley.

The new Scream is being directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett of the filmmaking group Radio Silence (Ready or Not, V/H/S) from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt (Murder Mystery, Zodiac, The Amazing Spider-Man) and Guy Busick (Ready or Not, Castle Rock). Creator Kevin Williamson and the third member of the Radio Silence trio, Chad Villella, are executive producing with Project X Entertainment’s Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein, and William Sherak serving as producers.

Filming is currently scheduled for this fall in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Will Barrera’s character get a call from Ghostface? Expect more casting updates soon.

Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group plan to release the film in 2021.

See all of our Scream 5 coverage here!

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Matt Artz

Founded Halloween Daily News in 2012 and the Halloween International Film Festival in 2016. Professional writer/journalist/photographer since 2000.