Scream 6 Star Addresses How Sequel Deals With Neve Campbell’s Absence

The upcoming Scream 6 will see a number of familiar faces returning to the franchise to square off against a seemingly new Ghostface, but Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott won’t be making any appearances, with star Jenna Ortega recently noting that there’s enough going on in the new film to engage audiences that they won’t be wondering where Sidney has gone. Campbell made it clear that she felt she wasn’t being compensated fairly for her involvement in the upcoming film and opted to walk away from the franchise, though we’ll have to wait until next March to see exactly how the narrative addresses her departure. Scream 6 is currently slated to land in theaters on March 10, 2023.

“I feel like I can’t really speak too much on that just because it’s not necessarily my character,” Ortega revealed to Entertainment Tonight about Sidney’s exit. “But I will say there’s so much going on in this next one, that it’s so action-heavy and so gore-heavy that I think you’re gonna be distracted almost.”

Luckily, this year’s Scream managed to largely pivot away from the characters and events of the original films and introduce audiences to new protagonists, so their continued adventures won’t have to rely heavily on Sidney. Still, with Campbell having starred in the previous five films and having avoided death this whole time, some fans are sure to be disappointed by her absence.

“But it’s very clear, like, there’s references to Sidney, of course,” Ortega confirmed. “You know, it’s nice because there’s still a protectiveness in the script and that’s something that the actors had naturally over her because obviously we respect her and we want the best for her. She’s missed and thought of.”

Despite the disappointment over Campbell’s absence, the new film does see the unlikely return of Hayden Panettiere, whose Kirby was attacked and left for dead in Scream 4 but was confirmed to have survived in this year’s Scream.

“Hayden is a sweetheart and that team, I’m really lucky that the directors Matt [Bettinelli-Olpin] and Tyler [Gillett] and Melissa [Barrera] and Jasmin [Savoy Brown] and Mason [Gooding], we all have so much love and respect for each other,” Ortega detailed of the experience. “They’re like family to me, so when you’re on a job like that, they’re the most fun sets that I’m on. It’s working with your friends. It’s the best possible scenario.”

Scream 6 is currently slated to land in theaters on March 20, 2023.

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