Neve Campbell decided not to move forward withScream 6due to salary discrepancies. Co-director Tyler Gillett stood by her decision and discussed the opportunity it presents to highlight the new cast.
Over the past 25 years, Campbell played a significant role as the heroine protagonist in the previous 5Screamfilms. However,Campbell will not be part ofScream 6, and she stands against what she describes as unfair pay. Now, the co-director ofScream 6offered his point of view on the situation, which presents an opportunity for the franchise to look forward with its new cast of characters in New York City.
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Entertainment Weeklyspoke to co-director Gillett at the end of 2022 to discuss the latest installment and his thoughts onCampbell’s departure fromScream 6. The director said that her decision not to move forward affected the script “greatly,” but that they love Campbelle, as they previously worked with her forScream 5, and are “huge fans” of Sydney Prescott. “It felt like there’s an opportunity to really dig into this new crop of characters, and I think people will be really surprised and pleased with how successfully this movie does that,” Gillett said. “This movie’s been in our lives now for quite a while, but I think that we are still consistently surprised by how rich and how interesting and deep the relationship is between the four of them in this movie.”
Campbell previously described the heartfelt and respectful letter from the co-directors that convinced her to be part ofScream 5in the wake of Wes Craven’s passingin 2015. So, it is likely that the salary discrepancies have more to do with budget constraints than anything else. While the true reason for the salary discrepancy is unknown, it can be speculated that Paramount would have to increase theScream 6budget to afford the actors.
Characters like Gale Weathers andHayden Panettiere’s Kirby will return, but whether it’s enough for fans after Campbell’s departure and after a controversial death of a major character inScream 5remains to be seen. Even so, for someone like Sydney Prescott, perhaps it is best to give the character a break. WithScream 6set in New York City, there isn’t any particular reason she has to be there.
