Neve Campbell has announced that she will not be returning as Sidney Prescott for the upcoming sixth installment of the Scream franchise. Deadline reports that Campbell made the decision after receiving an offer that she didn’t feel reflected the value she brings to the franchise. She said in a statement:
“Sadly I won’t be making the next Scream film. 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.”
Sidney Prescott quickly became one of the most iconic final girls in horror history, having to survive different killing sprees by various people donning the mask of Ghostface over the series. Scream 6 will now have to figure out a way to reshape the franchise around somebody else.
But even though this decision seems to have come down to money, Campbell might be making the right choice to step away anyway. The Sidney character has been poorly used over the last two movies, with her story arcs taking a back seat to Gale and Dewey’s marriage problems in Scream 4 and basically being reduced to a forgettable supporting role in the recent film.
Campbell actually took a while to sign onto the fifth Scream movie, which might also have been to do with money, or maybe it was because Sidney didn’t have anything to do. This is likely because Sidney’s arc concluded so satisfyingly in Scream 3, originally intended to be the franchise’s conclusion.
Director Wes Craven did such a good job plotting out and pulling off Sidney’s rise to final girl and drive to overcome the trauma that it caused her, that any further films involving the character can’t top it. So it might be better for Sidney, and for the franchise, if Campbell steps away. Though that doesn’t excuse her being presented with what sounds like an insulting offer.
We’ll wait and see what happens with Scream 6, which will see directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett return. James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick are also back to pen the screenplay. The film was given the greenlight while the latest one was still in theaters, and is already set to be released March 31, 2023.
#Peace.Love.Scream
