Melissa Barrera to Star in Horror Romance Film ‘Your Monster’
It looks like we’ll be seeing rising star Melissa Barrera (In the Heights, Scream) back on the big screen soon
Photo: Instagram/@melissabarreram
It looks like we’ll be seeing rising star Melissa Barrera (In the Heights, Scream) back on the big screen soon. She recently co-starred with Jenna Ortega (Wednesday) in the hit film Scream VI which set record numbers at the box office. Now the 32-year-old Mexican actress is set to star in the upcoming horror romance film Your Monster alongside Tommy Dewey (Casual). The film follows Laura Franco (Barrera), an aspiring actress, “whose life falls apart after a cancer diagnosis and devastating breakup. The soft-spoken actress finds her voice again when she meets a terrifying, yet weirdly charming Monster (Dewey) living in her closet,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. It’s directed and written by Caroline Lindy, who wrote and directed the 2019 short that the film is based on, and is making her feature film debut.
“The past two weeks have been such a whirlwind that I hadn’t shared this with you 😬” Barrera shared in an Instagram post announcing the news. “This is the cool thing I was working on for the past month and a half. #YourMonster is one of the most special movies I’ve ever been a part of. I got to work with devastatingly talented people and @cglindy is a genius and I can’t believe I get to be a part of her first feature. Cannot wait to share this incredibly funny and romantic and horrific story with you.”
Along with Barrera and Dewey, the film will also star Edmund Donovan (Tell Me Lies) and Kayla Foster (The Deuce, Call Jane). The short that the film is based on has already received recognition in the industry, earning a generous production grant from Women in Film, and is sure to be an unusual but captivating watch. Based on what we’ve seen Barrera’s character do in the Scream series so far, we can’t wait to see how she takes on this role.
“Melissa and Tommy bring a romance and depth to their roles reminiscent of our favorite classic romantic comedies,” Lindy said about the co-stars, according to THR. “Setting that chemistry in a genre mashup is something that I’m very excited to share with audiences.”
Barrera rose to fame in the U.S. as Lyn, the free-spirited sister to Mishel Prada’s Emma, a type-A queer executive, on the Starz series Vida (2018-2020) developed by Tanya Saracho. The critically acclaimed series followed the Mexican American sisters in the aftermath of the death of their mother which forced them to return to their home in East LA.
No information about the film’s release date has been made available, but filming has already wrapped and we’re excited to see Barrera headlining yet another film!
