Neve Campbell, who has carried the “Scream” franchise for decades as iconic final girl Sidney Prescott, confirmed Monday that she won’t return for the next installment, citing a pay dispute.
“Sadly, I won’t be making the next Scream film,” the actor said in a statement obtained by The Times.
“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.”
Noting that the decision to walk away from the project was “very difficult,” Campbell thanked the “incredibly supportive” fans of the “Scream” movies for their loyalty. When reached Monday by The Times, Paramount Pictures — which distributes the popular slasher flicks — deferred to production company Spyglass Media Group, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“To all my Scream fans, I love you,” Campbell said. “I’m forever grateful to you and to what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years.”
The 48-year-old performer was 23 when the first “Scream” film hit theaters in 1996 and made her a movie star. Her fierce protagonist, Sidney Prescott, has continued to face off against the saga’s masked serial killer, Ghostface, in subsequent installments — including the latest sequel, which opened in January.
Although its main scream queen won’t be there, multiple other former “Scream” stars will reprise their roles in the sixth chapter. Among them are Courteney Cox, Hayden Panettiere and Jenna Ortega, who just won an MTV Movie and TV Award for her scene-stealing performance in the fifth “Scream” film.
“Scream 6" is slated to open on March 31, 2023.
