Neve Campbellhas welcomed theScreamfranchise back into her life. But she doesn't regret her previous decision to let it go.
Campbell was the slasher series' first final girl, a role she exclusively occupied until time came for contract negotiations forScream VI. The actress now synonymous with herScreamcharacter, the tough yet tender Sidney Prescott, announced in 2022 that she'd bestepping back from the franchiseafter the salary offer "did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise."
It was at first unclear whether Campbell would ever return after a Sidney-lessScream VI, but she's now back in action for original scribe Kevin Williamson's first time in the franchise director's chair forScream 7. In a newinterview onCBS Mornings, Campbell confessed that even she is surprised she's back. "When I said goodbye to it, I thought that was it," she said. "I knew that there was a good chance that that would be it."
With regard to herScreamhiatus, Campbell explained, "When I made that decision, I just didn't think I could live with myself walking on set. It just didn't feel right. I just knew that my value to this franchise was bigger than what had been offered."
That doesn't mean sitting outScream VIwas easy. "I was sad when I knew they were having their first day of shooting and I wasn't there. I was like, 'That sucks,'" Campbell admitted. "But at the same time, I knew that my decision was right. When I spoke out about it, it wasn't really to sort of rally everybody. It was really just my truth at the time, and the fact that people got behind me and I got lovely support, that was really nice."
Entertainment Weeklyhas reached out to Spyglass Media Group, which produces theScreammovies, for comment.
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Campbell's departure fromScream VIwasn't the only franchise setback in recent memory.
Melissa Barrera, who starred in the fifth and sixth movies, wasfired from the seventh installmentin 2023 after expressing support for the Palestinian cause and criticizing Israeli actions in the Israel-Hamas war. Spyglass deemed Barrera's remarks "hate speech," a characterizationshe disputed. Barrera's costar Jenna Ortega also exited the film, as did originalScream 7director Christopher Landon, whocalled his time on the projecta "very dark and tumultuous experience."
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Scream 7sees the return of Campbell and many other franchise faves. OGs David Arquette, Courteney Cox, and Matthew Lillard are back, joining fresher returning faces Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding, as well as newbies like Isabel May, who plays Sidney's daughter Tatum.
Lillard told EW in December that he"screamed" when Williamson invited him backfor the new installment. "The moment is immortalized in my mind. I picked up the phone and we had small talk for five minutes, and it was like, 'Do you want to come back?' I literally was like, 'Oh my!' I, like, screamed."
Scream 7opens Friday.
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