Neve Campbell Has An Emotional Response To Not Being In Scream 6
Neve Campbell isn't in Scream 6 for "negotiation-based" reasons, but the long-time star loved the movie and has expressed that she misses not being a part of it.
Neve Campbell will not appear in Scream 6, but that doesn’t mean she has anything but love for the franchise and its creators. In an interview with People, the Riverdale star and Scream 6 actor Skeet Ulrich said he spoke with Campbell, who has seen the film despite not appearing, and the actress loves the result. Ulrich also stated that despite choosing not to appear in the movie, Campbell gave him the impression that she misses being in the franchise.
“She’s the final girl, no doubt, but yeah, I think she misses it, all of it and everything.”
Scream 6 star Skeet Ulrich on Neve Campbell
According to the interview with Ulrich, Neve Campbell chose not to be involved in Scream 6 for “negotiation-related” reasons — presumably because the producers weren’t offering enough to make a return to her longstanding role worth her time. It’s impossible to say what exactly went down that made Campbell decide not to return, but Ulrich went out of his way to emphasize that there are no hard feelings, stating that “we all stand behind” the actress. Her absence makes Scream 6 the first film in the 27-year-old series that will not feature Campbell as its star.
The original Scream, released in 1996, made Neve Campbell’s career. Playing the role of Sydney Prescott, her character survived all the way through five Scream films, becoming the de-facto face of the franchise (well, after the face of Ghostface, anyway). As the self-aware “final girl” who relies on her knowledge of horror films to keep herself alive, she represents everything that made the franchise a breath of fresh air following two decades of traditional slasher films such as Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
After appearing in the first Scream, Neve Campbell became the star of multiple films, including the 1998 neo-noir Wild Things, the 1999 rom-com Three to Tango, and the 2000 comedy Crime Drama Panic. Her time as a high-profile leading film actress was relatively short-lived, but she still remains active in the industry. Her most recent roles unrelated to Scream include low-profile movies like Castle in the Ground and Clouds and major recurring roles in TV series such as House of Cards and The Lincoln Lawyer.
In Campbell’s absence, Scream 6 instead relies on other longstanding stars from the series. This includes Friends star Courtney Cox, who has also appeared in every Scream movie as Gale Weathers, alongside Skeet Ulrich, who appeared in the original Scream. Also returning are Wednesday star Jenna Ortega and In the Heights actress Melissa Barrera, who both appeared in the franchise’s fifth movie.
Along with talking about Neve Campbell’s response to the film, Ulrich told People about his fond memories of the franchise’s original director, the late Wes Craven. According to Ulrich, Craven would love to see that his franchise still brought about excitement all these years after the first film.
Scream 6 was released on Friday to positive critical reviews and audience reaction, and it has made over $19 million on its opening day — more than half the film’s $35 million budget. So, while audiences and fellow costars might miss Neve Campbell’s presence, the franchise seems capable of moving on without her.
