Neve Campbell Explains Why She Rejected Scream 6 Return

It looks like Sidney Prescott's time in the Scream franchise has officially come to an end. Despite having the lead role in every entry in the franchise—other than a scaled-back appearance in Scream 5—Neve Campbell has doubled down on her refusal to appear in Scream 6, the franchise's latest entry now in principal photography.

In a new chat with PEOPLE Magazine, Campbell revealed the reason to not returning: a discrepancy in pay equality.

"I did not feel that what I was being offered equated to the value that I bring to this franchise, and have brought to this franchise, for 25 years," Campbell told the magazine. "And as a woman in this business, I think it's really important for us to be valued and to fight to be valued."

She added, "I honestly don't believe that if I were a man and had done five installments of a huge blockbuster franchise over 25 years, that the number that I was offered would be the number that would be offered to a man. And in my soul, I just couldn't do that. I couldn't walk on set feeling that — feeling undervalued and feeling the unfairness, or lack of fairness, around that."

Earlier this year, Campbell's Scream co-star David Arquette told ComicBook.com that a film in the franchise without its traditional lead would be nothing short of unfortunate.

"I'd love for her to be a part of it," said Arquette. "A Scream movie without Sidney is kind of unfortunate, but I understand her decision. It's all a business in a way, they have to balance all these elements to fit a budget and produce a film. I get it, she's still alive! She [can] absolutely be in future ones, but I think it's up to fans to call for that in the future. [...] That is sudden, it's a business, though. I respect her decision, for sure."

Scream 6 is slated to hit theaters on March 31, 2023.  

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