Topline
Neve Campbell announced she would return to the “Scream” movie franchise Tuesday after missing the last movie over a pay dispute—but it follows other controversies with the franchise, including firing of star, Melissa Barrera, for social media posts the production company deemed “hate speech.”
Key Facts
Campbell announced the reprisal of her role as Sidney Prescott, the franchise’s lead character, in a Tuesday Instagram post—after her notable absence from last year’s “Scream 6.”
Campbell originally declined to return to the franchise for the sixth installment after receiving a salary offer she felt “did not equate to the value” she had brought to the franchise.
Barrera played Sam Carpenter, the daughter of original Ghostface killer Billy Loomis, in 2022’s “Scream” and 2023’s “Scream 6”—and was fired after Spyglass Media Group deemed her social media posts on the Israel-Hamas war as antisemitic.
Another star, Jenna Ortega, also departed on Nov. 22—the day after news broke of Barrera’s firing—due to scheduling conflicts with the second season of Netflix’s “Wednesday.”
Campbell’s post also revealed Kevin Williamson, the original film’s writer, will be directing the franchise’s seventh installment—after Christopher Landon, who was originally slated to direct the project, also stepped down in December.
Big Number
More than $168 million. That’s how much “Scream 6” grossed worldwide, making more than $108 million in the U.S., according to IMDBPro’s BoxMojo.
Key Background
Wes Craven’s “Scream” became a cult-classic after its 1996 debut, which has since spawned six films and a television series. It was rebooted after an 11-year lull with Barrera and Ortega in January 2022—with the franchise’s original stars Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette returning in smaller capacities—grossing more than $137 million worldwide, according to BoxMojo. Weeks after “Scream” hit theaters, “Scream 6” was announced in February 2022 and Campbell announced she would not be returning that June—leading her co-stars Matthew Lillard and Jamie Kennedy from 1996’s “Scream” to publicly support her decision. News of Barrera’s firing sparked a strong response on social media, and Landon posted on X the decision was not his—a post that has since been deleted.
Further Reading
Did the Scream franchise just fall apart? (Vox)
Jenna Ortega Is Not Returning To ‘Scream 7’ — Here’s Why (Forbes)
Neve Campbell Won’t Return for ‘Scream 6’ After Rejecting Offer: ‘It Didn’t Equate’ to My Value (Variety)