Neve Campbell's character, Sidney Prescott, has been an integral part of the Scream franchise since the beginning, but the actress has not been announced to return for Scream 5 yet—here's why. When Wes Craven introduced Scream to the world in 1996, he ushered in a new era of smart, self-aware horror that wasn’t afraid to poke fun at itself, all while giving audiences genuine scares that would create an instant horror classic. Scream went on to gross over $170 million at the box-office and spawned three sequels.
For years, fans begged for a fifth installment of the franchise. Sadly, after Wes Craven's untimely death in 2015 from a brain tumor, the future of the Scream series looked grim. Despite the tragic loss of Craven, fans continued to rally for a new film. In March of 2020, it was announced that Scream 5 was officially happening and Kevin Williamson (the original writer) would be its Executive Producer.
Scream 5 is set to be released in 2022, and stars David Arquette and Courteney Cox have already signed on for the new film. Curiously, Neve Campbell has yet to officially add her name to the cast despite Sidney being an integral part. Fans often cite the 2018 interview in which Campbell stated that she's unlikely to return to the franchise without Craven as director, stating, "Wes was the heart of the thing...I think it would be difficult to work with another director." However, there are a few other theories as to why she hasn't yet agreed to reprise her most famous role.
First, there's the possibility of issues with the script. Many popular horror reboots have been killed by horrible storylines. Movies like Halloween: Resurrection, Jason X, and Blair Witch all had a solid franchise to work from, but were both critical and commercial failures. It’s entirely possible that Neve Campbell simply doesn’t feel the script holds up to Craven’s vision for the franchise.
Another issue could be with Campbell’s character, Sidney Prescott. As has been a prominent issue with other movies in major horror franchises like Alien 3 and Halloween: Resurrection, when screenwriters run out of ideas, they kill off the main character. There are a few reasons for this. First of all, killing off the main characters gives the franchise the opportunity to rebuild with a new, younger cast. Scream 4 did this to some extent, but also brought back prominent faces from the original trilogy, including Neve Campbell as Sidney. Killing off the main heroine also adds a degree of shock factor that’s sometimes thought to give a failing franchise a new edge. Many are wondering if it’s possible that Campbell doesn’t want to watch her character get killed after already surviving four films and seven killers.
Fortunately for fans, Neve Campbell still seems to be in active talks with the screenwriters and the director, meaning there’s still a good chance she will eventually reprise her role. Campbell's return would all but ensure Scream 5 will be exciting, scary, and worthy of Wes Craven’s enduring legacy.
