‘Scream’ Creator Kevin Williamson Says Neve Campbell Needs to Return to Franchise: ‘Pay Her the Money’

“Scream” franchise screenwriter Kevin Williamson is hoping Neve Campbell returns to Woodsboro. Campbell exited the iconic slasher films ahead of the recent sequel “Scream 6” over salary disputes, calling it a “very difficult decision to move on” after 25 years of playing final girl Sidney Prescott.

Williamson said during the “Happy Horror Time” podcast that Paramount should negotiate further with Campbell and ultimately “pay her the money” her presence is worth. “I totally respect her opinion,” Williamson said. “I know exactly where she’s coming from, I know her well. I love and adore her and that’s what she did. It’s right for her. I love everyone involved in ‘Scream’ and all I can say is, pay her the money. That’s what I would do, I would give her the money.”

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He added, “I’m sure there’s a number they can agree on that will make them both happy so hopefully one day they will figure that all out.”

While Williamson handed over the writing reins to James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick starting with “Scream” (the fifth film), he still serves as an executive producer on the franchise. Williamson shared his initial plans for Campbell’s Prescott if he penned the latest installments.

“‘Scream IV,’ ‘V,’ and ‘VI,’ would have been [about] the love story of Sidney Prescott, and it would’ve been this whole thing of she’s falling in love, she’s going to get married, it’s all based around her marriage when these murders start happening again,” he said. “It’s like, is this man that she’s in love with the killer again? Is she Billy Loomis-ing herself all over again? Is she still making the wrong decisions? Is she still choosing the bad guy?”

Now, if Campbell returns as Prescott, Williamson is “absolutely determined” to see the character get a happy ending. The latest “Scream” feature and its recent followup, “Scream 6,” were helmed by Radio Silence’s co-directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. Next up: “Happy Death Day” filmmaker Christopher Landon will direct “Scream 7.”

And these days, Williamson is just fine taking a backseat on the creative team as an EP. “I feel like I’m getting the experience I always wanted with these last two films,” Williamson said, citing how it’s more “fun” to be behind-the-scenes. “Not to have that stress of filming and delivering a script [for an iconic franchise] is such a relief.”

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