Neve Campbell Has Backed Out Of “Scream 6” Because They Weren’t Going To Pay Her Enough
Are you a fan of the Scream franchise who is just itching at seeing Sidney Prescott square off against a killer in a Ghostface mask once again next year in Scream 6? Okay well, bad news for you then, because Neve Campell, who has played Sidney Prescott since the first Scream movie was released in 1996, won’t be returning for the 6th film. And it’s not because she’s so damn tired of cleaning blood off her clothing, or that she’s developed tinnitus from answering the phone so much. It’s because Paramount Pictures allegedly won’t pony up enough money for Neve’s paycheck.
Yesterday, Variety published a statement from Neve herself, in which she announced that she wasn’t coming back for Scream 6, set to hit theaters in March 2023 (the film is scheduled to begin filming sometime this summer). Neve explained that it was just time for her to retire, or that she wanted to focus on other projects, like a revival of the early-90s Canadian music drama Catwalk (a girl can dream). Instead, Neve laid it all out there and accused Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media of pinching pennies during salary negotiations. Neve acknowledges that her exit sucks, and that she knows the fans will hate her choice, but that she can’t stick around if she’s not paid what she believes she’s worth.
“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. You’ve always been so incredibly supportive to me. I’m forever grateful to you and to what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years.”
That’s embarrassing for Paramount, but it’s great news for Tori Spelling. Tori played a character based on Sidney in the movie-within-a-movie in Scream 2, has made it very well known that she’d love to return for Scream 6. So Paramount should expect at least 40 missed calls from Tori Spelling this afternoon.
Neve didn’t specify what Paramount’s offer was, or what amount Neve was expecting. But, Variety did point out that this isn’t the first time Ghostface has murdered her take-home pay. Earlier this year, Neve sat down with fellow scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis to talk all things horror movies, and both acknowledged that horror doesn’t really pay that well. That’s when Neve revealed that she kind of got screwed over during the making of Scream 3, because she didn’t get a back-end deal, and when it came time to discuss the profits of Scream 3, she was told the movie didn’t make much, so no back-end bonus for her. Clearly, Neve is done messing around with Scream’s accounting department, so she’s out for good.
Not to mention that Neve is currently starring in the Netflix series The Lincoln Lawyer, so Paramount and Spyglass definitely fucked around and found out with the wrong person. You can’t nickle and dime someone who is making Netflix money! When negotiating with someone whose wallet has seen a check from Netflix, the best you can do is sheepishly present your offer and say, “I hope this is alright, we know you’re used to Netflix money. Here, let’s add an extra zero, just for your trouble.”
Pic: YouTube