Why Scream 6 is missing Neve Campbell's Sidney Prescott
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After Scream 5, aka Scream, took a stab at mixing the old with the new, Scream 6 continues in that vein with a bunch of recurring and legacy characters all returning for the new instalment.
Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding are back for a second outing, and they'll be joined by Courteney Cox and Hayden Panettiere, who returns in the role of Kirby Reed after she was left for dead in Scream 4.
They'll be joined by fresh new victims (or potential killers) played by the likes of Tony Revolori, Samara Weaving, Dermot Mulroney, Josh Segarra and more.
This all bodes well for Ghostface, who kind of has a thing for stabbing people, but there's one name on his kill list that definitely won't be ticked off this time around. Yep, Sidney Prescott's lungs have finally been given a chance to rest from all that screaming because Neve Campbell has turned down the chance to play her again.
But why is Scream 6 missing its iconic Final Girl? Let's delve into the reasons. (Fear not, there are no spoilers ahead.)
Why Scream 6 is missing Neve Campbell's Sidney
Neve Campbell's absence is a blow for Scream fans everywhere because Sidney has been with this franchise since day one. Not only is she Scream's first Final Girl, she's also the ultimate final girl for many of us who have watched Sidney unmask Ghostface over and over again since the mid-'90s.
It turns out that this decision came as a blow to Neve herself though, as well. Under the right conditions, she would have happily returned, but issues behind the scenes, unfortunately, led to this choice.
"Sadly I won't be making the next Scream film," Campbell announced on June 6, 2022. "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," she added. "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."
Two months later, Campbell expanded on her decision further, saying: "I honestly don't believe that if I were a man and had done five instalments of a huge blockbuster franchise over 25 years, that the number that I was offered would be the number that would be offered to a man.
"And in my soul, I just couldn't do that. I couldn't walk on set feeling that – feeling undervalued and feeling the unfairness, or lack of fairness, around that."
In February 2023, Scream co-star Courteney Cox broke her silence on Campbell's exit when she said: "I missed working with her, but I'm going to support whatever she feels is right."
Fellow Scream alum Emma Roberts had some more direct words to say during a chat with the Shut Up Evan podcast (as reported by Game Revolution):
"I think it's ridiculous that she's not coming back because of money," said Roberts. "I hate that we're at a time in this industry where these big franchises or big shows, they act as though actors are disposable."
"I just think it's rude," Roberts added. "Obviously, we're at a time now where things are getting better for sure, or at least if not better, than more transparent.
"I'm glad that it was out there that Neve wasn't getting paid so that fans could be upset and not think that she didn't want to come back."
As Roberts points out here, it's important that Campbell's reason for exiting is out in the open. Not only does this negate any potential fan backlash, it also shines a much-needed light on the inequalities that still plague Hollywood.
Jenna Ortega, who starred in 2022's Scream as Tara Carpenter, chose not to comment on Campbell's departure when quizzed on the subject, but she did reassure fans that the legacy of Neve's character, Sidney, can still be felt in the new movie:
"There's references to Sidney, of course. You know, it's nice because there's still a protectiveness in the script and that's something that the actors had naturally over her because obviously we respect her and we want the best for her. She's missed and thought of."
This sentiment was echoed by Scream 6 co-directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, although Gillett did tell EW that Campbell's absence in the new film also has an upside:
"We love Neve, and we're huge fans of Sidney Prescott, but it felt like there's an opportunity to really dig into this new crop of characters, and I think people will be really surprised and pleased with how successfully this movie does that."
New characters are always welcomed, of course, but this quote doesn't really soften the blow much when it comes to Campbell's departure. What might, however, is news that Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin are open to bringing Campbell back to the series one day if she's willing.
"It's Scream, of course," Bettinelli-Olpin told Total Film, to which Gillett added: "We brought back Billy Loomis..."
Whether Neve Campbell actually wants to come back is another matter though. In numerous interviews, she has regularly discussed her love of the franchise, so if she can be paid fairly then there might be scope still for her to return one day.
It's not like she needs the work though. She's currently booked and blessed on a number of other projects, including Netflix's The Lincoln Lawyer, which will be coming back for season two, and also the series Twisted Metal alongside Marvel's Anthony Mackie, which will premiere sometime in 2023.
Scream VI is out now in cinemas.
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