Silke Jasso
Neve Campbell, who played Sidney Prescott in the first five Scream movies, confirmed in June that she wouldn’t be returning for Scream VI. The 49-year-old stated that she “felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise” which was more than two decades. However, the slasher sequel did offer an explanation for her absence.
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Meanwhile, Hayden Panettiere returned to the franchise as fan-favorite Kirby, who was previously featured in Scream 4. After taking a break from acting to focus on herself, Panettiere brought Kirby back after the audience saw several easter eggs that implied she had survived the fourth film. In Scream VI, Kirby is depicted as an FBI agent in Atlanta following her near-death experience and is now pursuing a career in law enforcement.
When Kirby arrives in New York City to help the police in investigating a new wannabe Ghostface, she tells Tara and Sam, whom she recognizes from their shared past in Woodsboro, of her interest in murders involving the Ghostface persona. Later, Kirby confesses to Sam that she pursued a career in law enforcement as a way of reclaiming her power after surviving her own stabbing in Scream 4.
Scream VI | Final Trailer
In the new film, Sidney Prescott doesn’t join the franchise’s new “Core Four” in New York City in order to help investigate the latest murders. Reporter Gale Weathers, played by OG star Courteney Cox, reveals that Sidney opted to take her family to a secure location, keeping her off-screen for the film’s events, saying she deserves a happy ending.
Much has been made of Sidney’s and Neve Campbell’s absence from the movie, with costar Skeet Ulrich saying “There were just business things as a businesswoman that are important to her, and we all stand behind her.”
Campbell, however, did leave the door open for saying she hopes to return to the franchise. “I don’t know that I’m done for good,” the actress said back in August. “It would really depend on what they came to me with next. It would have to be different. It would have to be a different attitude, and I’m not sure that’s going to happen.”
“If they came to me with a number that felt right, that felt respectful, that felt in keeping with my value that I brought to the franchise, I’d be willing to consider [returning in the future],” she stated.
