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Scream 6 can benefit from Neve Campbell absence, says director

A Scream 6 co-director has commented on Neve Campbell not returning to the horror movie franchise, and the good news is that there is a silver lining

Scream 6 can benefit from Neve Campbell absence, says director
Emma-Jane Betts's Avatar

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Scream 

The upcoming horror movie Scream 6 is set to open a new chapter in the beloved franchise. Directed by Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Scream 6 is the follow-up to Scream (2022), which saw Ghostface return to Woodsboro. However, in the new slasher, things are a bit different, primarily that Neve Campbell – who famously plays the horror series staple final survivor Sidney Prescott – is not returning.

Scream 6, which is now set in New York, will follow the last movie’s main gang – Melissa Barrera’s Sam, Jasmin Savoy Brown’s Mindy, Mason Gooding’s Chad, and Jenna Ortega’s Tara – having to face the masked serial killer Ghostface in the big city. While the Scream franchise has left Woodsboro before, what makes Scream 6 stand out isn’t its New York backdrop, but the fact that Campbell, who has appeared in every Scream movie since the first entry in 1996, won’t be making an appearance this time round.

Campbell’s choice to walk away from the IP came following a reported salary dispute. But, while Gillett admitted that Campbell’s departure did initially affect the script and development of the upcoming thriller movie in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the director explained how the decision to part ways with the last girl icon had a silver lining.

Without Campbell and her impressive Scream legacy, the new film allowed for more focus to be had on the new young stars. “We love Neve, and we’re huge fans of Sidney Prescott,” says the director, “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.”

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“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,” he continued.

Only time will tell how Scream will fair without Campbell for the first time. However, luckily fans won’t have to wait long to find out. Scream 6 hits theatres on March 10, 2023.

For more screams, here are our guides to the best monster movies, and ghost movies of all time.

Emma-Jane Betts is the Guides Editor of The Digital Fix. She helps our team cover all your favorite TV shows and movies, keeps all our guides up to date, and makes sure all our lists are filled with trusty recommendations. Emma-Jane is an entertainment journalist with over four years of editorial experience; she has covered film festivals, appeared on multiple radio shows, attended press conferences held by the likes of Amazon and Disney, and is a Rotten-Tomatoes-approved film critic. She’s also worked in the film industry and in a literary agency. You’ll likely find her rewatching The Lord of the Rings or quoting obscure horror movies in her spare time.