If you’ve been a Scream fan for the past 25 years, you may be wondering: Why is Neve Campbell not in Scream 6 and what happened to Sidney Prescott?
Campbell made her debut as Sidney, a woman hunted by serial killer named Ghostface, in the original Scream movie in 1996. Campbell went on to star in four more Scream movies—Scream 2 in 1997; Scream 3 in 2000; Scream 4 in 2011; and Scream 5 in 2022—before her exit from the role ahead of filming for Scream 6 in June 2022.
“I had been really apprehensive about doing another one,” Campbell told Variety in 2022 about her return for Scream 5 after more than a decade away from the franchise. “People had asked in the past whether I would do another one without Wes or whether I would make another one. I always felt like it’d be too difficult to do it without Wes. He was the master of these films. He did such a beautiful job on them. We were a family.”
So why is Neve Campbell not in Scream 6 and what happened to Sidney Prescott? Read on for what we know about why Neve Campbell is not in Scream 6 and if Sidney could return to the Scream franchise.
Why is Neve Campbell not in Scream 6?
Image: Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection.
Why is Neve Campbell not in Scream 6? Campbell confirmed in a statement to Variety in June 2022 that she decided not to return as Sidney Prescott in the sixth Scream movie because of the low offer she was presented with from Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media, the companies that produce Scream. “The offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise,” she said. “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.”
In an interview with People in August 2022, Campbell confirmed that her decision to not return as Sidney was “truly” just “negotiation” related. I did not feel that what I was being offered equated to the value that I bring to this franchise, and have brought to this franchise, for 25 years,” she said. “And as a woman in this business, I think it’s really important for us to be valued and to fight to be valued. I honestly don’t believe that if I were a man and had done five installments 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.” She continued, “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.”
Campbell also told People that “it was sad” for her not return because of her “love” for the Scream franchise. “I love these movies. I love Sidney. I love this franchise; I’m so grateful for it,” she said. “But at the same time, I really just couldn’t bear the idea of walking onto [the sixth film] and feeling undervalued.”
Campbell also confirmed to People that she wasn’t “done for good” with Scream after her exit from Scream 6. “I don’t know that I’m done for good,” she said. “It would really depend on what they came to me with next. It would have to be different. It would have to be a different attitude, and I’m not sure that’s going to happen.” She continued, “If they came to me with a number that felt right, that felt respectful, that felt in keeping with my value that I brought to the franchise, I’d be willing to consider [returning in the future].” She added, “I don’t believe it’s dead in the water, but we’ll see. But honestly, I’m really okay. I’ve been able to let it go. I wish them well. I’m doing three different shows right now. I’m very, very grateful that I’m working. I’m happy. So all is good.”
When asked why she chose to announce her exit from Scream 6, Campbell told People that her decision was because the franchise’s fans “have been so committed and supportive that I felt that I owed them an explanation as to why I wasn’t going to be there, because I knew it’s not just about me.” She continued, “At the same time, I think it’s important that we all stand up for ourselves and that we all feel good about the way we’re being treated. I didn’t want to make it a big political thing. I wish the actors and the directors well. I care for them. I’m sad to not be with them. I hope they had a good experience on this one. I don’t want there to be bad blood.”
As for the future of the Scream franchise, Campbell told People, “I’m sure people will still go see it. People love these movies. I’m not the only reason that these films are successful. In no way do I believe that. As I said, I hope for the cast and for the directors — because they have worked really hard and care deeply about these movies — I hope they’ve enjoyed the experience and that it will be positive for them.”
Jasmin Savoy Brown, who played Mindy Meeks-Martin in Scream 5 and Scream 6, reacted to Campbell’s exit from Scream 6 in an interview with Variety in June 2022. “I absolutely respect her for that. I think that it’s hard to be a woman in this industry and in any industry at all,” she said. “If any person, but especially any woman, feels that she deserves more — whether that’s a financial situation with work, out of a relationship, out of fill in the blank — if she can walk away, I support that.” She continued, “The script is fantastic and the franchise go on in a beautiful way.”
Melissa Barrera, who played Sam Carpenter in Scream 5 and Scream 6, also defended Campbell’s decision to not return. “It was shocking, but also, as a woman, I get it. Especially as a woman of color, I deal with that stuff all the time where I feel like they’re not paying me what I know that I’m worth,” she told Variety in August 2022. “But usually for me, I feel like it’s because I’m a Latina, and they don’t value us as much as white women. So if Neve being a white woman is feeling undervalued, that just goes to show how much of a problem it is in the industry. I applaud her sticking to what she believes in.”
Skeet Ulrich, who played Billy Loomis in the original Scream movie and reprised his role in Scream 5 and Scream 6, told People in March 2023 that Campbell “misses” her part in the Scream movies. “We were together over the weekend at a convention,” he said. “She loves it; she loves what we’ve done. There were just business things as a businesswoman that are important to her, and we all stand behind her.”
He continued, “She’s the final girl, no doubt, but yeah, I think she misses it, all of it and everything. This is new to me — I did [the original Scream] and then a big jump, we didn’t have this kind of thing obviously because of the pandemic for [last year’s fifth Scream], so this is like years and years’ of growth. So I think she has more to miss. To me, it’s new and exciting.”
What happened to Sidney Prescott in Scream 6?
© Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection.
What happened to Sidney Prescott in Scream 6 and where did she go? In Scream 6, Gale Weathers, Sidney’s close friend who has appeared in all six of the Scream movies, tells Sam and Tara Carpenter that Sidney isn’t in New York City with her because she’s gone into hiding after the recent attacks by Ghostface.
Jenna Ortega, who played Tara in Scream 5 and Scream 6, confirmed to Entertainment Tonight in November 2022 that Sidney’s absence would be addressed in the sixth movie.
“I feel like I can’t really speak too much on that just because it’s not necessarily my character,” she said. “But I will say there’s so much going on in this next one, that it’s so action-heavy and so gore-heavy that I think you’re gonna be distracted almost.” She continued, “But it’s very clear, like, 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.”
The Scream movies are available to stream on Paramount Plus. Here’s how to watch them for free.
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