Neve Campbell Stands by Comments About 'Disrespectful' Offer for Scream 6

Scream franchise star Neve Campbell doubles down on her original comments about the pay dispute that led to her absence from Scream VI.

Scream film series star Neve Campbell expresses no regret about her handling of the pay dispute that led to her missing out on Scream VI, doubling down on how "disrespectful" the situation played out in her eyes.

Speaking with KISS 92.5 FM on the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) red carpet, Campbell, who's known for starring as Sidney Prescott throughout the Scream franchise, lamented her treatment during salary negotiations for the most recent sequel. While Campbell maintains her love for the series, she didn't feel she was treated equally when trying to work out a fair payment structure, believing she was right to stick to her principles.

"As much as I love the characters that I’ve played and ones that I’ve had a history with, it’s also very important to me the concept of equal pay. We’re still not there yet," she said. "I really do believe that if I had been a male the offer would be very different. I can’t prove that but it's the feeling that I have and the way that I was treated was not great, and it feels disrespectful. So at what point does self-respect come to play? It has to always be there, right?"

Campbell's comments come after the confirmation Scream VII is in its early development stages. While Campbell didn't express whether she'd come back for Scream VII if given a suitable offer, Scream franchise creator Kevin Williamson has urged Paramount to come to an agreement with the Canadian actor, allowing Sidney can make a big-screen comeback for the next sequel.

Sidney was the central character in the first four Scream films, often avoiding the wrath of various Ghostface killers as their murderous intentions ran wild. However, in 2022's Scream, dubbed a "prequel" by the cast as the film essentially rebooted the series, Sidney was more of a background character, a mentor for younger characters as the movie introduced franchise fans to Sam and Tara Carpenter (Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega), as well as other new faces. In Scream VI, they explained Sidney's absence in the storyline as being due to her and her family leaving town when hearing about Ghostface's return.

Despite Campbell's absence, Scream VI went on to be a critical and commercial success, grossing the third-highest return in the slasher franchise's history by taking home $169 million in ticket sales. The film featured other legacy characters including Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich).

Christopher Landon Will Direct Scream 7

Scream VII will feature a new person in the director's chair as Christopher Landon takes over from Radio Silence (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett). There is no word yet on when filming will begin for Scream VII or casting confirmations, though it's expected Barrera and Ortega will return for the upcoming sequel.

Scream VI is available for streaming via Prime Video, as well as on Blu-ray and DVD.