Actor Neve Campbell is parting ways with the Scream franchise, or at least will not be reprising her role as Sidney Prescott in Scream 6. Deadline was the first to report, via a statement made by Campbell.
According to the publication, Campbell has made repeated comments this year on the convention circuit to fans that a salary dispute may wind up preventing her from participating in further Scream movies. “Sadly, I won’t be making the next Scream film,” Campbell said in a new 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.”
Campbell continued, “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.”
To date, the Scream franchise has grossed more than $744 million at the box office since the series began in 1996. The most recent Scream–and possibly Campbell’s last–grossed $140 million, benefiting greatly from the return of Courteney Cox, David Arquette, and Campbell. With Campbell’s exit, the franchise return of Hayden Panettiere as Kirby from Scream 4 carries more weight.
Cast member Jenna Ortega–returning for Scream 6 alongside Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Mason Gooding–recently told the press that Scream 6’s Ghostface is “the most aggressive and violent version” of the character yet.
Scream 6 is set for a March 31, 2023 release date.
