Campbell has been the final girl of the slasher series since its 1996 inception, but said she couldn't &34;live with myself&34; if she'd accepted the &34;Scream VI&34; payday. Scream 7 star Neve Campbell defends decision to skip sixth movie over salary dispute Campbell has been the final girl of the slasher series since its 1996 inception, but said she couldn't &34;live with myself&34; if she'd accepted the &34;Scream VI&34; payday. By Ryan Coleman :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/RyanColemanauthorphoto0081ce8f0254478080f35972c433877b.

Campbell has been the final girl of the slasher series since its 1996 inception, but said she couldn't "live with myself" if she'd accepted the "Scream VI" payday.

Scream 7 star Neve Campbell defends decision to skip sixth movie over salary dispute

Campbell has been the final girl of the slasher series since its 1996 inception, but said she couldn't "live with myself" if she'd accepted the "Scream VI" payday.

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

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February 25, 2026 9:04 p.m. ET

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Neve Campbell in 'Scream 7'. Credit:

Jessica Miglio/Paramount Pictures

Neve Campbell has welcomed the *Scream* franchise back into her life. But she doesn't regret her previous decision to let it go.

Campbell was the slasher series' first final girl, a role she exclusively occupied until time came for contract negotiations for *Scream VI*. The actress now synonymous with her *Scream* character, the tough yet tender Sidney Prescott, announced in 2022 that she'd be stepping back from the franchise after the salary offer "did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise."

It was at first unclear whether Campbell would ever return after a Sidney-less *Scream VI*, but she's now back in action for original scribe Kevin Williamson's first time in the franchise director's chair for *Scream 7*. In a new interview on *CBS Mornings*, Campbell confessed that even she is surprised she's back. "When I said goodbye to it, I thought that was it," she said. "I knew that there was a good chance that that would be it."

With regard to her *Scream* hiatus, Campbell explained, "When I made that decision, I just didn't think I could live with myself walking on set. It just didn't feel right. I just knew that my value to this franchise was bigger than what had been offered."

That doesn't mean sitting out *Scream VI* was easy. "I was sad when I knew they were having their first day of shooting and I wasn't there. I was like, 'That sucks,'" Campbell admitted. "But at the same time, I knew that my decision was right. When I spoke out about it, it wasn't really to sort of rally everybody. It was really just my truth at the time, and the fact that people got behind me and I got lovely support, that was really nice."

* *has reached out to Spyglass Media Group, which produces the *Scream* movies, for comment.

'Scream 7' first look: Neve Campbell and Sidney's daughter team up against Ghostface

Mason Gooding talks 'Scream 7' return and getting E. coli during filming

Campbell's departure from *Scream VI* wasn't the only franchise setback in recent memory.

Melissa Barrera, who starred in the fifth and sixth movies, was fired from the seventh installment in 2023 after expressing support for the Palestinian cause and criticizing Israeli actions in the Israel-Hamas war. Spyglass deemed Barrera's remarks "hate speech," a characterization she disputed. Barrera's costar Jenna Ortega also exited the film, as did original *Scream 7* director Christopher Landon, who called his time on the project a "very dark and tumultuous experience."**

Dermot Mulroney and Hayden Panettiere in 'Scream VI'.

Philippe Bossé/Paramount Pictures

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*Scream 7* sees the return of Campbell and many other franchise faves. OGs David Arquette, Courteney Cox, and Matthew Lillard are back, joining fresher returning faces Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding, as well as newbies like Isabel May, who plays Sidney's daughter Tatum.

Lillard told EW* *in December that he "screamed" when Williamson invited him back for the new installment. "The moment is immortalized in my mind. I picked up the phone and we had small talk for five minutes, and it was like, 'Do you want to come back?' I literally was like, 'Oh my!' I, like, screamed."

*Scream 7* opens Friday.

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