Scream 6 directors address Neve Campbell’s exit from sequel

Scream 6 directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett have addressed Neve Cambell’s departure from the slasher sequel, saying they think fans will be “pleased” despite her absence.

Sidney Prescott is just as synonymous with the Scream franchise as its masked killer, Ghostface. Campbell has played Sidney in every instalment from 1996 to 2022’s revival, and is considered by many to be the ultimate final girl.

However, earlier this year, the star announced she wouldn’t be returning for Scream 6 over a pay dispute. “I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise,” she said in a statement.

Scream 6 will see the series continue without its lead, placing the new generation of characters in New York City. Now, the directors have addressed Campbell’s exit.

Scream 6 directors say Neve Campbell’s exit affected script “greatly”

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly following the release of the first trailer, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett spoke about Campbell leaving the project and how it affected the movie.

They said it changed the script “greatly”, but added: “We love Neve, and we’re huge fans of Sidney Prescott, but 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.

“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.”

Courteney Cox will return as Gale Weathers for the sequel, alongside Hayden Panettiere as Kirby, first introduced in Scream 4 and teased to be alive in Scream 5.

Scream 6 slashes its way into cinemas on March 10, 2023. Find out more about the movie here.