We made it, folks. The trailer for Scream VI has landed and from the looks of things, Ghostface is wreaking havoc on the citizens of New York β all except one. A few months ago, it was made clear that Scream‘s leading lady, Neve Campbell, would not be returning for Scream VI due to a disagreement regarding her desired pay. Additionally, as we’ll (unfortunately) remember from Scream (2022), David Arquette’s beloved Dewey Riley perished at the hands of Ghostface, which leaves only Courteney Cox’s Gale Weathers standing from the original cast. Needless to say, Campbell made the Scream franchise what it is today, so her absence will surely be felt. That being said, fans are just about ready to boycott Scream VI as punishment for its severe lack of Sidney Prescott.
We’ll admit that the Scream VI trailer looks β for the most part β engaging. However, aside from Hayden Panettiere reprising her role as Kirby Reed and Cox’s Gale Weathers, it’s all fresh faces in the updated cast. Jenna Ortega, whose name is known to the world for her role in Netflix’s Wednesday, also returns as Tara Carpenter, along with Scream (2022) survivors Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding), Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and newcomer Sasha, played by Ready or Not‘s Samara Weaving.
What exactly has Twitter got to say about Neve Campbell’s exit? It seems to be the unanimous opinion that without Sidney Prescott in some capacity, the franchise won’t survive and the sixth installment will be a complete flop. That’s Twitter’s words, not ours (although we’re inclined to agree). There’s a lot of Scream fans standing united with Campbell, who believed she wasn’t getting offered what she was owed (and worth) when signing on for Scream VI. For that reason, they won’t be giving a single cent to the corporations that neglect their most valuable asset.
That being said, there’s also some ideas being tossed around that could ensure Campbell’s presence in Scream VI. Aside from the fact that Paramount Pictures could be kicking up a stink to cover their tracks and Campbell might actually be in the film, there’s the common belief that an opportunity to make Sidney Prescott the next Ghostface was missed. When we consider all the trauma that Sidney has been through since 1996, who would blame her for finally snapping and going on a blood-thirsty killing spree? That way, everyone wins; Campbell’s contract worth sky-rockets while fans are given exactly what they want.
But that would be a tad too obvious. As much as we’d love to see Neve Campbell as Ghostface (especially as her eventual death would be justified at this stage), it doesn’t appear as if Paramount are taking that route. Instead, we might actually be without Campbell for this one, in which case, the Scream franchise has a lot to make up for.