Original 'Scream' Star Confirms Return for Sixth Movie
Original Scream star Courtney Cox has confirmed that she is returning for the franchise's sixth movie. During a recent interview with Variety, Cox addressed the upcoming film, and assure fans that her character, Gale Weathers, is back. "I did not die so yes you will see me," she said. "Gale's pretty strong. She may not ever [die], but who knows!"
The news of Cox's return comes as Neve Campbell, who plays Sidney Prescott, has announced that she will not be coming back for Scream 6. "Sadly I won't be making the next Scream film," Campbell stated, per Deadline. "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." She added, "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."
Following Campbell's announcement, fellow Scream star David Arquette weighed in on her decision, telling ComicBook.com, "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."
Notably, Campbell, Cox, and Arquette are the only three Scream cast members to have appeared in every film to date. It is unlikely that Arquette will return for Scream 6, as his character, Dewey Riley, was killed in Scream 5. However, it is plausible that he could turn up in a flashback or by way of a video similar to how Jamie Kennedy's Randy Meeks appeared in Scream 3 after dying in Scream 2.
While Campbell will is not back for Scream 6, we know that Scream 4 star Hayden Panettiere will make a return as Kirby Reed. Additionally, Scream 5 stars Melissa Barrera (Sam), Jenna Ortega (Tara), Jasmin Savoy Brown (Mindy), and Mason Gooding (Chad) will all return for Scream 6. The film is set to begin filming this summer and is currently scheduled to debut in theatres on March 31, 2023.
The new movie will be directed by the filmmaking team Radio Silence's Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett — who also helmed Scream 5 — from a script by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick. The newest Scream film is currently available to stream on Paramount+, along with Scream 4. Anyone who may be interested in trying out a free trial of the streaming service can do so by clicking here.