Neve Campbell reflects on 'Scream' pay dispute, 'Scream 7' return

Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYThu, February 26, 2026 at 2:20 PM UTC

0

Sidney Prescott is answering the call again, but Neve Campbell once thought her time with "Scream" was over for good.

The horror icon, 52, opened up in an appearance on "CBS Mornings" on Tuesday about her decision to return to the slasher sequel "Scream 7" after declining to participate in the previous installment due to a salary dispute.

"When I made that decision [to leave 'Scream VI'], I just didn't think I could live with myself walking on set," Campbell said. "I just didn't feel right. I just knew that my value to this franchise was bigger than what had been offered."

Gayle King, who praised Campbell as a "champion for so many women," noted some are "shocked" to see her back in "Scream 7" after the widely publicized pay dispute that sparked her exit from 2023's "Scream VI." Campbell acknowledged that she, too, thought her time as Sidney could be over.

Neve Campbell attends the "Scream 7" premiere on Feb. 25, 2026, in Los Angeles.

"When I said goodbye to it, I thought that was it. I knew there was a good chance that that would be it," she said, adding she "had to be" OK with that. "When I knew they were having their first day of shooting ['Scream VI'], and I wasn't there, I was like, 'That sucks.' But at the same time, I knew that my decision was right."

Neve Campbell recounts on-set bear attack when she was a teenager: ‘He’s biting me’

Campbell made the announcement in 2022 that she would not return for the sixth "Scream" movie, making it the first film in the long-running horror franchise without her character of Sidney Prescott. The actress had played Sidney across five "Scream" films, in which she repeatedly faced off against new killers donning the same Ghostface mask, from the 1996 original to the 2022 revival.

The "Party of Five" actress said at the time her decision to leave "Scream VI" stemmed from the pay she was offered, saying in a statement to Deadline, "I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise." She added, "It's been a very difficult decision to move on."

Advertisement

Speaking about this decision on "The View" on Tuesday, Campbell said her 2022 statement wasn't intended to "make a big rally cry." Instead, she "wanted to explain to the fans," "Look, this doesn't feel right. This doesn't feel appropriate. I feel like if I was a male, on the sixth installment, after 25 years of these films, this would not be the number."

Neve Campbell speaks during a screening and Q&A for "Scream" on Feb. 10, 2026, in Paris.

Less than two years later, Campbell announced in March 2024 she would be returning for "Scream 7," which has made Sidney Prescott the main character again after she took on more of a supporting role during her most recent appearance in 2022's "Scream." That fifth installment and its follow-up shifted focus to a pair of new characters, played by Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega.

Campbell's return for "Scream 7" came in the wake of Barrera being dropped from "Scream 7" in 2023 due to her social media posts about the Israel-Hamas war. Ortega, who played the sister of Barrera's character in the last two "Scream" films, declined to return for "Scream 7."

Neve Campbell is returning for 'Scream 7' after pay dispute, Melissa Barrera firing

Speaking to People in 2024, Campbell said that after the previous salary dispute, she was "really grateful that the studio heard me when I talked about pay discrepancy," adding that when negotiations began for "Scream 7," they "started out in a strong place, so that was lovely." Campbell also noted on "The View" this week that "they came back to me respectfully" when asking her to return for "Scream 7."

1 / 0See Halle Berry, Bad Bunny in the best celebrity photos of February

Bad Bunny and "Wuthering Heights" have dominated the month of February, as the march to the 2026 Oscars continues. Stars have been stepping out this month at movie premieres and awards shows, including the Grammys and the Independent Spirit Awards. Plus, New York Fashion Week 2026 is underway, featuring appearances by Rihanna and Anne Hathaway. Scroll through for the best celebrity photos of February 2026 so far, starting with Bad Bunny, left, and Lady Gaga performing during the Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, California.

"Scream 7" goes full circle by reuniting Campbell with Kevin Williamson, who wrote the screenplays for the first, second and fourth "Scream" movies but is serving as director for the first time in the franchise. Wes Craven, the director of the original four "Scream" installments, died from a brain tumor in 2015. The 2022 fifth installment, the franchise's first sequel in over a decade, was dedicated to him.

The story in "Scream 7" centers around Sidney having settled into a peaceful life with her husband Mark (Joel McHale) and 17-year-old daughter Tatum (Isabel May), which is disrupted when a new Ghostface killer emerges to terrorize her and her family. Courteney Cox, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding also star in the film, which hits theaters on Feb. 27.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Neve Campbell reflects on 'Scream 7' return after pay dispute

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”