Melissa Barreira has earned a place among modern Scream Queens thanks to some of the most popular horror films of recent years, but her most recent horror film from 2024 unfortunately confirms a harsh reality of her post-Scream. 2024 was a big year for horror, with films from different branches of horror finding their audience and being successful with critics and viewers. Titles like Late night with DeviEarth Long legs have already earned a place among the best horror films of the year, but others, although fun, have not achieved the same success.
Melissa Barrera became widely known in 2021 when she starred In the heightsand the following year she made her horror debut in the fifth Scream film. Barrera played Sam Carpenter, one of the new Final Girls in the Scream franchise, but that changed later Scream 6. Barrera was fired Scream 7and after the departure of Jenna Ortega and the withdrawal of director Christopher Landon, the project moved forward with a new team. However, this didn’t stop Barrera from continuing his path in the horror genre, but unfortunately, his latest horror film confirms a harsh reality of his career after Scream.
Your Monster Continues Melissa Barrera’s Box Office Struggles in 2024
Melissa Barrera’s 2024 Horror Movies Didn’t Perform Well at the Box Office
Barreira returned to Scream saga for the sixth film, which left audiences wondering what’s next for Sam, as she seemed to be connecting more with her darker side. However, Sam and Tara’s stories will be left unfinished after Barrera and Ortega’s departures, with Scream 7 instead bringing back the original Final Girl, Sidney Prescott, to lead the story. Barrera quickly went from Scream franchise and starred in two horror films in 2024, starting with Abigailmeeting with Scream directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.
Abigail follows a group of kidnappers tasked with capturing the daughter of a powerful figure in the underworld – however, it was all a trap planned by the girl herself, as she is a vampire and needs to feed. Despite receiving positive reviews from critics, Abigail did not perform well at the box office, grossing US$42.8 million against a budget of US$28 million. Unfortunately, the same thing happened with Barrera’s second horror film from 2024: Your monsterwritten and directed by Caroline Lindy and based on her 2019 short film of the same name.
Your monster is the story of Laura Franco (Barrera), a young actress coming to terms with her cancer diagnosis and dealing with a painful breakup who one day finds a strangely charming Monster (Tommy Dewey) living in her closet. Your monster achieved a “fresh” certificate in Rotten tomatoes with a 72% critic score, but its box office run ended after just one weekend and was disappointing. At the time of writing, Your monster raised $522,958continuing Barrera’s dismal box office streak in 2024.
Scream didn’t turn Melissa Barrera into a box office draw for horror films
The Scream franchise does not guarantee individual success
After his performance as Sam Carpenter in Scream (2022), Melissa Barrera was expected to become one of the highest-grossing modern horror actresses, but 2024 unfortunately proved that to not be the case. Both Scream The films starring Barrera were box office hits not because of Barrera’s performance and presence, but because they are part of one of the most popular slasher horror franchises. Although Barrera has a solid and supportive fan base, Barrera’s box office performance Abigail and Your monster show She’s not quite the big horror star she was expected to be, thanks to Scream yet.
Melissa Barrera’s 2024 Horror Movies Prove Why She Needs So Much Preparation or Not 2
Melissa Barrera may have another big horror project coming
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are now some of the modern masters of horror, thanks to their style of slasher horror with comedy and graphic (although not bloody) scenes. It all started in 2012, when they directed a segment for the horror anthology V/H/Sfollowed two years later by Devil’s Debt. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett became widely known in 2019 when they brought the horror comedy Ready or Notstarring Samara Tecelagem. Ready or Not received positive reviews and was a commercial successgrossing US$57.6 million against a budget of US$6 million.
A sequel to Ready or Not it was first reported to be in development in March 2024 and was finally confirmed in October, with Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett returning to direct. Given the subtlety Ready or Not Easter egg in Abigailthe sequel to the first is the perfect opportunity not only for another collaboration between Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett/Barrera, but also to pay off that provocation and give Barrera another horror blockbuster.
Barrera has already joked that he spoke with Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett and knows a little about what Ready or not 2 it’s going to happen, but she’s not part of it (yet?). Ready or not 2 can also give Melissa Barreira a new franchise that she can continue to be a part of now that her time on Scream the saga is over, potentially finally establishing her as one of the biggest and most bankable horror stars of recent years.