Neve Campbell confirms that Scream came out in 1996. While Ghostface is the face of the franchise, Sidney has become the backbone of the franchise, appearing in every sequel so far.
Scream 6 was officially confirmed by Paramount in February, less than a month after Scream hit theaters, and filming began in June. Franchise veterans Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers) and Hayden Panettiere (Kirby Reed from Scream 4) are confirmed for the next sequel, along with Melissa Barrera, Jenny Ortega, and a slew of other actors from 2022's Scream. Despite Campbell initially expressing interest in coming back for Scream 6, she shockingly revealed last month that she would not be returning in the sequel. Her exclusion seemed to come down to a pay dispute, with Campbell previously explaining, "I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise."
Fans are of course disappointed that Scream 6 will be the first film not to include Campbell, but now the actor has given an update on her character's absence. At a at Mad Monster Party Arizona, Campbell was asked if Sidney was initially involved in Scream 6's story or if she had been left out of the creative process since the beginning. Campbell confirmed Scream 6's story did indeed involve Sidney, simply stating, "There were plans for Sidney, and they are no longer, unfortunately. I'm sure they'll make a good movie."
Many were baffled that Paramount and Spyglass were moving forward on Scream 6 without Campbell, and most of the cast seemed equally surprised. David Arquette (Dewey Riley) was the first to comment on Campbell not returning for Scream 6, saying that he respects her decision but understands the studios' situation from a business standpoint. Matthew Lillard (Stu Macher) had a much more ionate response to the problem, calling it "infuriating" that Paramount wouldn't pay Campbell more after appearing in five Scream movies in the last 26 years.
It's not surprising that Campbell couldn't give details on what her role in Scream 6 could have been, but she would likely have gotten a similar amount of screentime as she did in 2022's Scream. The latest sequel introduced a new generation of characters to focus on, going as far as killing Dewey, meaning Cox is going to be the only original character returning. Even if Campbell had a limited role in Scream 6, it would have been a welcome addition to the sequel. After all, it's hard to imagine a Scream movie without Sidney Prescott.
Source: Mad Monster Party Arizona
