Courteney Cox is now the last remaining original Scream cast member, and she’s finally addressed Neve Campbell’s absence in Scream 6.
Scream has managed to maintain itself as one of the biggest horror franchises out there. And despite losing its director, and getting a cast made up of largely new faces, 2022’s Scream 5 managed to be extremely successful, grossing more than $140 million worldwide and garnering critical acclaim.
However, the next movie, Scream 6, has taken a brutal hit – and that’s without Ghostface doing the slashing. Neve Campbell, who plays ultimate final girl Sidney Prescott, won’t be returning.
While fans and crew members alike have discussed this shocking turn of events, co-star and friend Courteney Cox, who plays Gale Weathers, had remained surprisingly silent on the issue. Until now.
Courteney Cox addresses Neve Campbell’s Scream 6 exit
Neve Campbell’s exit has caused a lot of discussion among the cast, with many speaking in support of her and why she left, which was due to pay disputes.
David Arquette, whose last film with the franchise was also Scream 5, hypothesized that Campbell left due to business reasons, while Matthew Lillard, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Melissa Barrera all vocally defended her, tackling the issue of gender pay inequality within the film industry.
And now, Courteney Cox has finally contributed to the conversation. Speaking with Variety, the star admitted: “I missed working with her, but I’m going to support whatever she feels is right.”
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Cox also teased that while Sidney Prescott may be gone, Gale is still having a great time with Ghostface: “I have a really good scene with Ghostface and it was amazing. I’ve obviously been stabbed many times and all that, but this time, to work with Ghostface and not know who’s under the mask, it was a really fun time. Usually by the time I’m getting stabbed, I know who it is.”
Sidney may not be gone from Scream forever
Now, while Neve Campbell has left for Scream 6, that may not mean she’s left Scream altogether. The actor even admitted that she would be open to returning, stating to Screen Rant that she would be willing, provided that her pay would be more in line with “the value that I bring them.”
She was also adamant that she cares about the franchise and respects its new directors, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.
The next Scream film, which is bringing Ghostface to New York, will have a deadly face-off between the slasher and Gale, as teased by the trailer and Courteney Cox herself. If Gale doesn’t make it to the end of the film, perhaps Sidney Prescott could return to avenge her old frenemy. We’ll just have to wait and see whatever surprise happens.
Scream 6 will premiere in cinemas on March 10, 2023. Read more about the film here.