Following the success of the fifth Scream movie, it had been expected that Neve Campbell would return as Sidney Prescott in the upcoming sequel Scream 6, but it wasn't meant to be. Campbell recently confirmed the rumors that she had turned down the sequel, clarifying that the payment that had been offered to her didn't represent the value she feels she brought to the franchise. This means Scream 6 will be the first film of the series without its original "final girl."
Of course, the news that Campbell won't be back in Scream 6 will disappoint many horror fans, but she has been getting a lot of support from many applauding the actress for knowing her worth. Some of her old co-stars from the franchise have joined in on supporting Campbell for making the decision. This includes Matthew Lillard from the first Scream film, who said in a Twitter Spaces chat (via People) that he completely understood why Campbell declined the studio's offer. As Lillard put it:
"Did Tom Cruise take less money for [Top Gun: Maverick]? F— no, dude. So, why is a woman supposed to take less? Why wouldn't you pay her more as the series goes on? Was Scream 5 a hit or not a hit? It was a smash hit. Did they make a s— ton of money? Yes. Should Neve Campbell be paid for the work she's done in five movies of a franchise? Yes, because she's a female lead of one of the most successful horror franchises."
Similarly, Jamie Kennedy expressed support for Campbell with a video posted to YouTube. For his part, Kennedy said the studio's refusal to give Campbell what she was asking for represented what's wrong with Hollywood.
"Hollywood, this is a clear example of how twisted the system is. Sidney Prescott is the center of Scream. Neve Campbell is the face of Scream. Ghostface chasing her throughout the whole franchise ... Neve is the final girl. It's crazy that the people behind the scenes are not paying the money to literally the face of the franchise. It's people who weren't involved from the get-go. This is everything that's wrong with the business."
David Arquette Remains Optimistic About a Future Return for Sidney
Another Scream star, who had appeared in all five prior installments with Campbell, David Arquette, has supported Campbell as well. He previously spoke out about how it was "unfortunate" that she wouldn't be back in Scream 6, but still felt that perhaps Campbell could return in a future film.
"I'd love for her to be a part of it. A Scream movie without Sidney is kind of unfortunate, but I understand her decision. It's all a business in a way, they have to balance all these elements to fit a budget and produce a film. I get it, she's still alive! She [can] absolutely be in future ones, but I think it's up to fans to call for that in the future. [...] That is sudden, it's a business, though. I respect her decision, for sure."
Scream 6 is set to be released on March 31, 2023.