Neve Campbell has dropped out of the forthcoming Scream sequel over a pay dispute. The actor has played lead character Sidney Prescott in all five previous entries in the hit horror franchise, most recently in this year’s Scream. While the next film in the franchise has already been given the go-ahead, Campbell revealed that she would not be returning.
“Sadly, I won’t be making the next Scream film,” Campbell said in a statement to Variety. “As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream.”
“I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise. It’s been a very difficult decision to move on. To all my Scream fans, I love you.” She added.
The actor added that her fans had always been “incredibly supportive”, and that she was “forever grateful” to what the franchise had “given [her] over the past 25 years”.
Campbell has been a part of the franchise since the first Scream was released over 20 years ago in 1996, it was immediately embraced for its subversive spin on classic horror tropes.
The latest Scream fired up a rebound year at the box office for Paramount, grossing $140M worldwide. Campbell returned with original Scream peers Courteney Cox and David Arquette.
