Neve Campbell said that while she’ll always love Sidney Prescott, she had to take a stand against equal pay disparity.
When Neve Campbell announced that she would not be appearing in Scream VI over not getting paid enough to play Sidney Prescott, it put a cloud over not just the movie but industry shortcomings as well. Unfortunately, it was really no surprise that Paramount was holding out on paying her what she deserved. Now, Neve Campbell is yet again defending her decision to bow out of the franchise that made her famous.
On the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival (via MovieWeb), Neve Campbell was asked by KiSS 92.5 (via MovieWeb) about stepping away from Sidney Prescott and Scream. “It’s a hard question because it’s a matter of principle as well. As much as I love the characters that I’ve played and ones that I’ve had a history with, it’s also very important to me the concept of equal pay. We’re still not there yet.”
Neve Campbell added that treatment from the studio would have been completely different had she been a male. “I really do believe that if I had been a male the offer would be very different. I can’t prove that, but it’s the feeling that I have and the way that I was treated was not great, and it feels disrespectful. So, at what point does self-respect come to play? It has to always be there, right?”
Neve Campbell has many people in her corner on the topic, from fans to those involved directly in the series. Scream (2022) and Scream VI directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett have championed her in the past, as has original Scream writer Kevin Williamson, who defended her decision and said it only makes sense for the studio to pay her what she’s worth. We couldn’t agree more!
While Scream 7 has already been confirmed with Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon at the helm, there is no word yet on if Neve Campbell will reprise Sidney Prescott after having sat out Ghostface’s adventures in The Big Apple.
Would you like to see Neve Campbell return to the Scream franchise or did Scream VI show that they don’t need Sidney Prescott? Give us your take below!