Neve Campbell opens up on walking away from ‘Scream 6’ over unfair pay

Neve Campbell recently revealed why she chose to walk away from Scream 6, saying she “could not live with myself” if she accepted an offer she felt undervalued her contribution to the franchise. Speaking on CBS Mornings, Campbell explained, “When I made that decision, I just didn’t feel right. I just knew that my value to this franchise was bigger than what had been offered. For me, I needed to make that choice.”

The longtime face of the franchise reflected on the emotional difficulty of stepping back. “When I said goodbye to it, I thought that was it. I knew there was a good chance that would be it,” she said, acknowledging the challenge of watching the production begin without her. Despite the initial pressure, Campbell affirmed that speaking her truth was important, noting the overwhelming support she received from fans. “It wasn’t really to rally everybody. It was really just my truth at the time, and the fact the people got behind me, I got lovely support, and that was nice.”

Campbell had first announced in 2022 that she would not be returning for Scream 6, stating the offer did not reflect her decades-long contribution to the series. “As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream. I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise. It’s been a very difficult decision to move on. To all my Scream fans, I love you. You’ve always been so incredibly supportive to me, I’m forever grateful to you and to what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years.”

Campbell will return for Scream 7, reuniting with original cast members David Arquette, Matthew Lillard and Courteney Cox. Kevin Williamson, who wrote the first Scream, serves as director, bringing the franchise full circle for Campbell and fans alike.