Melissa Barrera became widely known in 2021 when she starred in In The Heights, and 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 after Scream 6. Barrera was fired from Scream 7, and after Jenna Ortega’s departure and director Christopher Landon dropping out, the project moved forward with a new team. However, that hasn’t stopped Barrera from continuing her path in the horror genre, but unfortunately, her latest horror movie confirms a harsh reality of her career after Scream.
Your Monster Continues Melissa Barrera's Box Office Struggles In 2024
Melissa Barrera’s 2024 Horror Movies Haven’t Done Well At The Box Office
Barrera returned to the Scream saga for the sixth movie, which left the audience wondering what’s next for Sam as she seemed to be connecting more with her darker side. However, Sam and Tara's stories will now 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 moved on from the Scream franchise and starred in two horror movies in 2024, beginning with Abigail, reuniting with Scream directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.
Abigail follows a group of kidnappers tasked with capturing the daughter of a powerful underworld figure – however, it was all a trap planned by the girl herself, as she’s a vampire and needs to feed. Despite getting positive reviews from critics, Abigail didn’t perform well at the box office, grossing $42.8 million against a $28 million budget. Unfortunately, the same happened with Barrera’s second horror movie of 2024: Your Monster, written and directed by Caroline Lindy and based on her 2019 short film of the same name.
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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 weirdly charming Monster (Tommy Dewey) living in her closet. Your Monster reached a “fresh” certificate on Rotten Tomatoes with its 72% critics score, but its box office run ended after only one weekend, and it was disappointing. At the time of writing, Your Monster grossed $522,958, continuing Barrera’s sad 2024 box office streak.
Scream Didn't Turn Melissa Barrera Into A Horror Movie Box Office Draw
The Scream Franchise Doesn’t Guarantee Individual Success
After her performance as Sam Carpenter in Scream (2022), Melissa Barrera was expected to become one of the modern horror actresses with the biggest box office draw, but 2024 has sadly proven this isn’t the case. Both Scream movies 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. While Barrera has a solid and supportive fanbase, the box office performance of Abigail and Your Monster shows she’s not quite the big horror star she was expected to be thanks to Scream just yet.
Melissa Barrera's 2024 Horror Movies Prove Why She Needs Ready Or Not 2 So Badly
Melissa Barrera Might Have Another Big Horror Project Coming Up
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 (though not gory) scenes. It all began in 2012 when they directed a segment for the horror anthology V/H/S, followed two years later by Devil’s Due. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett became widely known in 2019 when they brought the comedy horror Ready or Not, starring Samara Weaving. Ready Or Not got positive reviews and was a commercial success, grossing $57.6 million against a budget of $6 million.
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A sequel to Ready Or Not was first reported to be in development in March 2024, and it was finally confirmed in October, with Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett returning to direct. Given the subtle Ready Or Not Easter egg in Abigail, the sequel to the former is the perfect chance for not just another Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett/Barrera collaboration, but also to pay that tease off and give Barrera another horror box office hit.
Barrera has already teased she spoke to Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett and knows a bit about what Ready Or Not 2 will be about, but she’s not part of it (yet?). Ready Or Not 2 can also give Melissa Barrera a new franchise she can continue to be a part of now that her time in the Scream saga is over, potentially finally establishing her as one of the biggest and most profitable horror stars in recent years.
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Abigail is a 2024 horror thriller directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. The plot follows a group of people who kidnap the daughter of a dangerous crime lord only to discover that the little girl is actually a vicious vampire out for blood. Alisha Weir stars as the titular character alongside Kathryn Newton, Melissa Barrera, and Dan Stevens.
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Your Monster is a romantic-comedy-horror film by writer-director Caroline Lindy, released in 2024. The film follows a shy actress named Laura, recently diagnosed with cancer, who regains her voice after meeting a kindly monster that lives inside her closet.
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