'Scream VI' Directors 'Not Giving Up' Hope for Neve Campbell's Return to Horror Franchise
Scream VI marks the first film of the horror franchise in which Neve Campbell's Sidney Prescott does not appear. However, the film's directors say they are "not giving up" hope that she could return in the future. In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett — of the filmmaking collective known as Radio Silence — shared their position when it comes to Campbell.
"We'd never give up on her. We love Neve, and we love Sidney," Bettinelli-Olpin told the outlet. "So we'd love to be able to make another movie with her, and we're not giving up." Additionally, when the directors spoke with Variety, screenwriter James Vanderbilt joined the conversation and offered his thoughts. "We love Neve and think she's amazing and had a great experience with her on [Scream 5]," he said. "She needs to do what she needs to do as a business woman, and we totally support that."
Last year, Campbell announced that she would not be part of Scream VI, due to a salary dispute with the studio. "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."
Additionally, Scream VI producer William Sherak recently spoke with Deadline and stated that, as far as he is concerned, Campbell is "always welcome" back to the franchise. "We had an amazing time with her on 5, [so] we look at that and say she is a spectacular part of this franchise. We want her to make decisions that are right for her, and she will always be welcome and part of this franchise," said Sherak.
He continued, "I think the fun of what Jamie and Guy did in 5 and 6 proves that anybody can exist in this franchise at any moment. So, we look at it and go, 'It's a door, it's open, and at any time you can walk through the door, whoever it is, as a legacy character.' We continue to just widen how many legacy characters we have, and they're all amazing people that we can bring back at any time." Scream VI is now playing in theaters everywhere.