*Contains Scream 5 and casting spoilers*
Neve Campbell speaks on Scream 6, leaving fans hopeful it’s not the end for the beloved actress and the franchise
When you think of the much-loved Scream franchise, Neve Campbell is absolutely the first person who comes to mind, but Scream 6 is about to take a very different direction.
Scream 5 released back in January and saw the return of its major surviving cast members; Campbell (Sidney Prescott), Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers) and David Arquette (Dewey Riley), with the character of Dewey ultimately meeting his maker during the fifth instalment.
Back in June, Campbell announced she wouldn’t be returning to the slasher franchise following a pay dispute.
“Sadly I won’t be making the next Scream film,” she said in a statement. “As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream. 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,” Campbell added.
Speaking to ET this week, we got some more insight:
“I’m not just done with the chapter,” Campbell told Entertainment Tonight’s Lauren Zimaduring a feature for her latest campaign for American Red Cross.
Neve Campbell on Scream 6:
She says she’d return to the franchise if paid fairly. “I’m not done with this chapter.”#Scream #Scream6 pic.twitter.com/mY2OTt3B0p
— TV Tweets (@TVTweets2022) August 9, 2022
“I care about these movies. If they were to come to me with an amount that felt in keeping with… the value that I bring them, I would certainly consider it. I care about these new directors [Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett]. They did such a great job on the last one and I wish them luck.”
“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 continued. “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 5 was a victory by any movie standards, let alone one on its fifth instalment, with Empire awarding it 4/5 star review and IGN giving it a whopping 9/10, along with an extensive review:
‘The latest addition to the Scream franchise expertly blends reverence for the source material while creating something that feels almost completely new. All of the performances are pitch-perfect as the new generation of Woodsboro teens step into their futures, the kills are gnarly, and no version of toxic fandom is left un-mocked.”
While Campbell won’t be returning for Scream 6, you can expect to see the return of Courteney Cox, Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding, all be back for another round.
While Tony Revolori, Samara Weaving, Dermot Mulroney, Jack Champion, Josh Segarra, Liana Liberato and Devyn Nekoda are joining as new additions to the cast.
Around the time Scream 5 released, Campbell weighed in on the long-debated “gay rumour” around original murderers in the 1996 movie, characters Billy (played by Skeet Ulrich) and Stu (Matthew Lillard), with many believing the two were a closeted couple.
Campbell addressed the talking point during an interview, saying:
“If I were to theorize, I would say that there was perhaps some confusion with them and that maybe some of their anger comes from not being allowed to be who they want to be”.
See the full interview by clicking here.