Neve Campbell Says Scream 5 Talks Are “Up in the Air,” Feels “Odd” Without Wes Craven

With a new entry in the Scream franchise being developed, many are wondering what direction the upcoming film will take, while original star Neve Campbell notes that everything is “up in the air” regarding a possible return to the franchise at the moment. These comments likely stem from the fact that the coronavirus pandemic has largely halted any production from moving forward, Scream 5 included, though she did note that they were in the early stages of negotiations, seemingly confirming she is at least interested in the project, even if any sequel will be “odd” to embark upon without original director Wes Craven, who passed away in 2015.

“I got this really, really respectful letter from the directors [Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett] of the new one,” Campbell shared with The Hollywood Reporter. “They came to me with Scream 5, and these directors are incredibly talented. They wrote a letter honoring Wes in such a beautiful way, and they expressed that the reason they make horror movies is because of Wes and the Scream films. They also expressed how blown away they are at the idea of actually getting an opportunity to make one of them and how much they want to honor and respect Wes’ vision. It was just beautiful, and I was really grateful.”

She continued, “I had really thought that the only way I’d step into a new project with new directors is if they really wanted to honor him. So, we’ll see. We’re just in the beginning phases of negotiations, and we’ll have to see where it goes with COVID and everything. There are a lot of things up in the air such as when we’ll actually get to make the movie and how we can even reenter this business at the moment.”

The original Scream landed in theaters in 1996 and, thanks to Craven’s skills as a director and Kevin Williamson’s script, the film managed to not only be a compelling slasher, but also found a way to poke fun at the genre’s tropes, completely reviving the subgenre. The last film in the series, Scream 4, hit theaters in 2011.

In the years since the debut of Scream 4, a TV series was developed inspired by the concept which ran for two seasons. Last year saw the debut of a third, six-episode season, which was yet another reimagining of the premise.

Given the impact of the saga, anyone would be understandably trepidatious about a new entry moving forward without the right intentions, though Campbell notes that those anxieties have largely dissipated.

“I definitely had a period where I was thinking it would just be too odd to do a movie without Wes, and I wasn’t certain that I would want to do that,” the actress shared. “But, I think enough time has passed.”

Stay tuned for details on Scream 5.

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