The directors of Scream 6 have addressed Neve Campbell’s absence from the upcoming film. In an interview with Total Film, courtesy of an exclusive report from GamesRadar, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and executive producer Chad Villella were questioned on the next film to emerge from the Scream universe.
When asked if they were concerned about Neve Campbell’s absence from the film, Villela said they weren’t worried. They did add that they were “massive fans of Neve Campbell and what Sidney Prescott is in the Scream universe.”
“Everything we did on Five was because we were fans of hers for years and years and years in the Scream legacy,” Vilella continued. “So I think that ‘worried’ is not the right word. We played the hand that we were dealt.”
Without Sidney Prescott, a mainstay star in the series since the 1996 original, Bettinelli-Olpin said the team had a chance “to really explore and do a lot of character building in this one. It was really fun to create these new characters in a really cool and exciting way. Like what Tyler was saying, watching that family grow on camera and off is just a wonderful experience.”
As for whether an opportunity would present itself for Campbell to reprise her role in a future film, Gillet referred to the return of Billy Loomis, a legacy character who reprised his role in the fifth Scream instalment, despite being killed off in the first film. “It’s Scream, of course!” Olpin added to the question.
Scream 6 will star Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Henry Czerny, Tony Revolori, Samara Weaving, Devyn Nekoda, Liana Liberato, Dermot Mulroney, Thomas Cadrot, and Andre Anthony.