Courteney Cox and Neve Campbell hit red carpet at Scream 7 premiere as pro-Palestine protests erupt outside

The Scream 7 premiere was thrown into chaos on Wednesday evening after a pro-Palestine protest erupted outside Paramount Pictures Studios in Los Angeles.

While the film's cast and crew - including longtime stars Courteney Cox and Neve Campbell - walked the red carpet, protestors on the sidewalk held signs criticizing Paramount Pictures, which distributed Scream 7.

While the activists were protesting the 'silencing of pro-Palestinian voices' in Hollywood, the protest was specifically inspired by the firing of former Scream franchise star Melissa Barrera.

Barrera was fired from the seventh film in the series by its production company after she made a series of social media posts supporting Palestinians amid Israel's destruction of Gaza in the Israel–Hamas War.

In a statement, Spyglass Media Group said it had 'zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form' after firing Barrera.

Jenna Ortega, who was also originally slated to appear in Scream 7, departed the film just a day later, and she subsequently confirmed that her departure had 'nothing to do with pay or scheduling,' as had been originally reported.

Instead, Barrera's firing played a major role, as did the departure of the film's original directors, who had worked with her on Scream VI.  

'The Melissa [Barrera] stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart. If Scream 7 wasn't going to be with that team of directors and those people I fell in love with, then it didn't seem like the right move for me in my career at the time,' she told The Cut last year.

Activists held signs outside the premiere reading 'Paramount whitewashes genocide' and 'Paramount has a BLACKLIST of actors who criticize Israel.'

Other signs read 'Cancel Paramount+' and 'Stand For Free Speech Boycott Scream 7,' while other protesters waved Palestinian flags.

The protest was organized by the groups Entertainment Labor for Palestine, Codepink LA, and Jewish Voice for Peace-Los Angeles, according to Deadline.

Kevin Williamson, the director of Scream 7, responded to the protests while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the premiere.

'I saw them and my heart just sort of stopped,' he said. 'Look, we live in America. Everyone has a right to protest, and everyone should be heard. And if you have your truth and if you want to stand up and be heard, you protest. That is your right in this country, and I stand by it. I support that 100 percent.'

The calls to boycott Scream 7 and Paramount don't appear to have made much of an impact on the horror film's box office, as it is projected to earn $60 million globally in its opening weekend, potentially giving the film the second-best opening weekend in the 30-year-old franchise's history, according to Deadline.

Despite protesters using megaphones and shouting on the sidewalk, their chants were reportedly barely audible inside the theater on the red carpet.

Courteney Cox opted for a slim black single-breasted suit that revealed her lacy black top underneath as she arrived on the red carpet.

The suit featured flared slacks, which she paired with pointy black heels.

Neve Campbell also favored a suit, but she cut a chic androgynous figure with its gray double-breasted design while wearing the jacket unbuttoned.

She paired it with an icy blue satin shirt, a black tie and sparkly black heels while wearing her brunette hair down in waves. 

Another of the series's long-running stars, Cox's ex-husband David Arquette, also made an appearance at the premiere.

The actor, who is featured in the new film despite having died in a previous entry, wore a sleek black zip-up jacket over a ribbed black sweater and matching trousers. 

Ava Phillippe, the lookalike nepo baby daughter of Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, wore a striking snakeskin-print spaghetti-strap dress with burgundy heels.

Anna Camp wore a disturbing beige dress decorated with red embroidery depicting a person's internal organs, along with layers of red fringe that resembled dripping blood.

Community star Joel McHale kept things comfortable and casual with brown corduroy pants and an untucked blue shirt under a navy sweater vest.

Two of the Scream franchise's earlier killers, Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich, posed together with a person in a Ghostface costume.

The two actors reprise their roles in Scream 7 after the new killer creates deepfakes of earlier killers who terrorized Campbell's lead character.

Lillard wore a black suit with a tie-free gray shirt, while Ulrich wore a simple white shirt with navy trousers.

Isabel May, who plays the daughter of Campbell's character, posed with her on-screen mother.

She wore a black off-the-shoulder minidress with long sleeves and a feathery skirt, along with black pumps. 

Two of Scream 7's younger stars, Celeste O'Connor and Mckenna Grace, posed together on the red carpet.

O'Connor wore a black dress with molten red splashes and strands of dangling red beads resembling blood spurts, while Grace wore a black pleated skirt with a corset-style top and a scarf draped around her throat.

Veep star Timothy Simons went for a reserved look with a navy double-breasted overcoat, along with a black sweater and black boot-cut jeans. 

Jasmin Savoy Brown beamed as she hit the red carpet in a beige satin dress with crisscrossing mauve stripes intersecting over her midriff. 

Scott Foley, another former Scream villain who was revived for the new film, wore a slim beige sweater with black trousers.

He was joined by his wife, the actress Marika Domińczyk, who rocked a rock a baby blue dress. 

Kate Clark stood out at the premiere in a red dress with a gradient going from burgundy over her bust to vibrant coral at the hem.

The dress featured a cut-out that revealed her tattoo under her cleavage, and she contrasted the bright dress with a fuzzy black shrug.

Jimmy Tatro cut a smart figure in a blue plaid double-breasted suit that he wore unbuttoned to show off his dark shirt.

Ethan Embry kept things simple with a black untucked shirt and matching pants.