Jenna Ortega explains how Scream 6 hopes to distract fans from the absence of Neve Campbell, who played Sidney Prescott in all five previous films.
Scream 6 star Jenna Ortega has explained how the movie hopes to distract you from the absence of Neve Campbell. Campbell has been a part of the fabric of the franchise since the very beginning, originating the role of final girl Sidney Prescott in 1996’s Scream and playing the role in every subsequent sequel through the fifth film, also titled Scream. However, Campbell declined to return for the sixth film, which is coming to theaters on March 10, 2023, because she reports the offer she was given was too low given how important a role she plays in the series.
Recently, Ortega sat down with ET to discuss her roles in Netflix’s upcoming series Wednesday as well as Scream 6. When asked about Campbell’s absence, she said she couldn’t reveal too much, given that it affects characters outside just the one she plays. However, she hinted that the film is “so action-heavy and so gore-heavy” that she thinks viewers will be distracted and forget Sidney’s not in the movie. Read Ortega’s full quote below:
I feel like I can’t really speak too much on that just because it’s not necessarily my character. But I will say there’s so much going on in this next one, that it’s so action-heavy and so gore-heavy that I think you’re gonna be distracted almost.
Will Action & Gore Be Enough To Fix Neve Campbell’s Absence As Sidney In Scream 6?
Although Scream 6 won’t feature the return of Sidney Prescott, there are plenty of familiar faces (and voices) from the Scream franchise packing the film. This includes Courteney Cox and Roger L. Jackson reprising the roles of Gale Weathers and the voice of Ghostface, which they have played in every film since the original, and Hayden Panettiere returning as her Scream 4 fan-favorite character Kirby Reed. The surviving characters of Scream 2022 will also be returning, including Ortega as Tara Carpenter, Melissa Barrera as her older sister Sam, and Jasmine Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding as twins Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin.
While these returns are sure to delight many Scream fans, Campbell’s absence is still an enormous liability. Sidney forms the backbone of the original four films in the Scream franchise. Although she took a reduced role in Scream 2022, the thought of a Scream film without Sidney is still challenging for many to contemplate.
Scream 6 being packed with action and gore is likely to please many audiences, at the very least. Unfortunately, it likely won’t be enough on its own to make up for Campbell’s absence. However, if the filmmakers continue to focus on the other elements that make the Scream films so widely loved, including the clever horror film references, exciting opening sequences filled with dread and tension, and an expertly cast ensemble of new victims for the Ghostface killer to hunt down, the newest Scream film could pave a way forward without Sidney.
Source: ET
