Can there be Scream without Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott? We might be about to find out. After the actress returned for the horror franchise’s recent revival, a film that made $140M on a $25M budget, she now tells Variety that it’ll be her last and that she will not return to Woodsboro for Scream 6.
“Sadly, I won’t be making the next ‘Scream ‘film,” Campbell said. “As a woman, I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to ‘Scream.’ I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise. It’s been a very difficult decision to move on. To all my ‘Scream’ fans, I love you. You’ve always been so incredibly supportive to me. I’m forever grateful to you and to what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years.”
That certainly sounds like a goodbye to the franchise that Campbell has been a part of since Wes Craven launched it in 1996. As Sidney Prescott, Campbell has been the most popular mainstay of the long-running horror flicks. Even as newer, younger stars were brought in, Sidney remained the centerpiece and arguably the biggest draw. And if Campbell isn’t getting what she feels she deserves for sticking around so long, then it’s understandable the decision being made.
Of course, Campbell held out for quite a while before returning for this latest Scream. She could easily change her mind when/if circumstances change. But with Scream 4‘s Hayden Panatierre also returning for Scream 6, the feeling could be that Campbell is no longer needed as an attraction. I would wholeheartedly disagree.
Scream 6 will open on March 31st 2023, once again directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.
