Scream Star Neve Campbell Shares Statement on Why She Won't Be Returning for Sequel

By Patrick Cavanaugh

Following rumors that she might not be returning for Scream 6, franchise star Neve Campbell made the news official today that she won't be reprising her role as Sidney Prescott, detailing that the decision was ultimately a monetary one. In the original four films, a majority of the narrative centered around Prescott, though this year's Scream saw the narrative shift its focus, with Sidney becoming more of a supporting character. The conclusion of the journey also saw Sidney seemingly saying goodbye to the narrative, with it likely being that whatever plans the filmmakers had for Sidney in Scream 6 didn't result in what she felt was appropriate compensation. Scream 6 is currently slated to hit theaters on March 31, 2023.

"Sadly I won't be making the next Scream film," Campbell confirmed to Deadline. "As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream." 

She added, "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."

This year's Scream marked the first entry in the franchise since 2011's Scream 4, with that film taking in $97.1 million worldwide and this year's sequel earning $140 million worldwide. Despite being an improvement on its predecessor, its worldwide totals are still behind those of each installment in the original trilogy. While it might not have been a massive financial success, its critical reactions were the strongest the series has seen since Scream 2 in 1997, as it sits at 76% positive reviews according to aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.

Despite this seemingly definitive statement, we surely can't rule out a renegotiation of her deal to get Sidney Prescott to appear. In fact, with this year's sequel killing off characters played by major stars like David Arquette and Marley Shelton, Campbell and costar Courteney Cox would surely be the biggest names involved in the upcoming sequel. However, it's possible that returning cast members like Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown all had deals in place to earn a pay increase if they were asked to return. Also, the sequel recently added Dermot Mulroney, as well as confirmed the return of Hayden Panettiere as Kirby, which may have complicated the upcoming film's budget.

Stay tuned for details on Scream 6.

Are you disappointed that Campbell isn't returning? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

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