Why Neve Campbell Refused to Return for ‘Scream 6’
Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott is the centerpiece of the Scream franchise. She has been playing the role since 1996 and continues to outwit Ghostface, no matter who is under the mask. The Scream franchise continues to move forward, but Campbell is not coming back for Scream 6. The actor has now spoken out as to why she is skipping this latest horror entry.
Neve Campbell has been the main figure of the ‘Scream’ franchise since 1996
Neve Campbell is synonymous with her role as Sidney Prescott in Scream. In Scream, Sidney is the main target of Ghostface, who has been terrorizing her and her friends. It turns out that the two killers had a personal vendetta against her and each following killer had some sort of connection to Sidney.
Scream 5 was the first time Sidney was not the main target as Ghostface was now going after Samantha Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), who is the estranged daughter of Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich). However, Sidney still ended up being involved in the climax as she helps Samantha take down Ghostface, who was also trying to create a legacy sequel. While the Scream franchise was shifting the focus away from Sidney, it was still surprising to hear that the actor would not be returning for Scream 6.
Campbell reveals why she didn’t return
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Neve Campbell elaborated on why she is not returning in Scream 6. The actor said she felt the offer she was given to return did not reflect the value she brought to the franchise. Despite loving this franchise, she also believes that the offer would have been higher if she was a man, saying she didn’t want to be taken advantage of.
“I love these movies, I love being a part of them. I’m so grateful for them. It’s 25 years of my life… [a] character that I care deeply about and I know fans care deeply about,” Campbell said. “People come to me and say, ‘Sidney inspired me. Sidney saved my life. I was having trouble in school’ or ‘I was having trouble at home and it helped me overcome.’ You just don’t realize the effect that a character can have on people and Sidney has had a huge impact on people. So it was hard for me to make that decision not to do [Scream 6] because I knew it wasn’t just about me.”
“But at the same time, as a woman, I think it’s really important that we try to be on par financially with men and I fought for a long time to have that be a part of my life and to get to that place and I really just didn’t feel that what was offered to me really equated to what I bring to these films — the value that I bring to these films and that Sidney brings to these films,” Campbell added. “The idea of being on set and feeling taken for granted or taken advantage of just seemed impossible for me to endure, to be honest.”
‘Scream 6’ is still moving forward
Even without the iconic Sidney Prescott, Scream 6 is still happening. The movie will bring back returning cast members including Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courteney Cox, and Hayden Panetierre, along with new cast members such as Samara Weaving and Tony Revolori. Neve Campbell wishes the Scream 6 team nothing but the best and hopes her departure isn’t a distraction.
“This young cast, it saddens me that my departure might have some effect. But at the same time, I needed to stand up for myself, so I hope that they still had a good time and good experience on the film,” she shared. “I wish them well. It was just unfortunate, it’s not how it should have gone and my feeling truly is: had I been a man in this franchise — 25 years, five movies, the offer would have been very different.”
Scream 6 arrives in theaters on March 31, 2023.
