Scream fans were devastated when it came out earlier this year that Neve Campbell won’t be returning for the upcoming sixth Scream movie, making this the first entry in the slasher saga that she won’t appear in as original final girl Sidney Prescott. The reason behind her disappointing exit from the franchise is a pay dispute between the studio and the actress, who felt she wasn’t being offered what she was worth.
And sadly, Campbell has now admitted that she agreed to appear in this year’s Scream 5 for less than she felt was fair as well. While Scream 6 presses ahead with production without her, The Craft star spoke to Forbes and outlined her advice to other professionals who feel underappreciated in their fields. In doing so, Campbell reflected on the 2022 “requel,” admitting that it “didn’t feel right” doing the movie. As she explained:
“Be aware of your value. Don’t under-play yourself, Also, be realistic but stand up for yourself. I think it is time for us to say No, it’s not okay. This doesn’t feel right. Even on the last [Scream] film, I took a number and granted, it was Covid and we didn’t know what the world was going to look like and I didn’t know if I was going to work again, but I did the project for something that did not feel right to me and it didn’t feel good! If we keep under-valuing ourselves or letting people sort of step on us, it’s not going to be good for your self-worth and it’s certainly not going to be good for the way people perceive you. So, I think it’s just really important to respect oneself and to demand respect.”
Despite her strong convictions on her choice to walk away from her most famous and cherished role, Campbell likewise opened up to Forbes that it was a “hard” decision to come to as she has such affection for both the material and everybody who makes those movies. She continued:
“It was a hard decision. Obviously, I love the franchise. I love the movies. I loved these new directors and the cast, so it was a difficult decision to make but I felt for myself that it was the right one”
While fans were overjoyed to have Sidney back in 2022’s Scream, albeit in a supporting role while the next generation of Woodsboro survivors and victims took center stage, it’s a shame to hear that Campbell somewhat regretted saying yes to the project. Clearly, her affection for the franchise overrode her doubts in that case, but her conflicted feelings while making that movie convinced her to turn down Scream 6. With any luck, the studio will come to her with a better offer for Scream 7.
Scream 6 opens in theaters on March 31, 2023.