Neve Campbell Can’t Save Scream, Time To End The Franchise
Neve Campbell, who played fan-favorite Sidney Prescott in every movie in the Scream franchise but Scream 6, will be cast in her original part once more in hopes that fans will be distracted from the drama that’s been associated with pre-production. But in light of all that’s happened with departures of Scream 5 and Scream 6 stars Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, I think it’s high time that the studio finally retires the wildly successful series of films before a box office bomb implodes.
The Franchise Redeemed Itself After Scream 3
Neve Campbell’s breakout role in the 1996 smash hit Scream marked the beginning of not only her career, but also of a horror film series that has made over $900 million at the box office across six films. The first two films had resounding successes, but unfortunately paved the way for Scream 3, a disappointing sequel that had a lukewarm audience response. But fans like me felt the series began to redeem itself with the installments that followed, each one better than the last.
Scream Needs To Go Out On A High Note
There’s something to be said about a series going out on top. The last film, without Neve Campbell, commands a 76 percent favorability rating on Rotten Tomatoes and nearly matched the box office returns of the first two (and most financially successful) Scream films. Abandoning the idea of a new Scream movie not only ensures the perfect swan song for a widely loved movie franchise, but also keeps the drama from behind the scenes from making box office poison.
Fan-Favorite Departures Hurt
When Spyglass Media Group took issue with Barrera’s social media comments on the Israeli-Gaza War, it led to her termination from the upcoming production. This was almost immediately followed by Ortega announcing her departure, citing scheduling conflicts with her involvement in the series Wednesday. I think it’s bad news for the upcoming film when the two stars that drove the box office successes of the last two films produced are out, creating a chasm that even Neve Campbell cannot fill to save the next Scream film.
Even Christopher Landon Doesn’t Want To Touch Scream 7
When I saw that Scream 7‘s now-departed director, Christopher Landon, took to X to express his frustration over Barrera’s firing, it cemented my opinion that the series should call it quits. Before the addition of Neve Campbell to the cast, Landon posted “This is my statement: Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make,” before later deleting the comment. Landon stepped away from the project, and previous Scream director Kevin Williamson will try to fill the void.
Neve Campbell Isn’t Enough
While it’s obvious that some fans are excited to see Neve Campbell back in a Scream film, this glee is drowned out by the outrage of Barrera‘s firing. I think that if the voices on X and other social media platforms keep their word that it’s possible that the next Scream film will suffer the threatened boycott from fans that have been otherwise loyal to one of the genre’s greatest series of slasher movies.
