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Neve Campbell on reprising Sidney Prescott for Scream 5: 'We're having conversations'
What's your favorite scary movie...? Last November, it was confirmed that Spyglass Entertainment was developing a fifth installment in Wes Craven's iconic Scream film franchise. No further details (beyond the fact that it was actually happening) were provided at the time, but now it seems like the project won't be a straight-up reboot of the meta horror series.
In a recent interview with Rotten Tomatoes, actress Neve Campbell revealed that she might be returning to play Scream's central heroine, Sidney Prescott.
“We’re having conversations – I have been approached about it,” she said. “The timing’s a bit challenging because of COVID. You know, we only started the conversation maybe a month-and-a-half ago, so it’s going to take some time to figure out how it’s all going to work out…. We’re negotiating, so we’ll see."
Kicking off in 1996, the Scream franchise breathed new life into the slasher genre with a self-referential screenplay from Kevin Williamson. Like he did with A Nightmare on Elm Street, director Wes Craven crafted a world famous horror villain with the introduction of Ghostface. Prior to his death in 2015, Craven directed the first movie's three sequels, which were released in 1997, 2000, and 2011 respectively. Together, all four entries brought in just over $603 million at the global box office. The series also spawned a brief TV adaptation that aired on MTV and VH1.
In March of this year, filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (co-directors of 2019's Ready or Not) were hired to guide the genre IP into its next big screen iteration.
“The two directors wrote me a very touching letter about Wes Craven and how he was such an inspiration to them and how they really want to honor him, and that meant a great, great deal to me," Campbell revealed. "So we’ll see. Hopefully, we can all see eye-to-eye on the project and find a way to make it."
If Campbell does decide to return, however, it won't be out of a desire for a quick payday. Scream helped launch her acting career, so it's no surprise that the thought of playing Sidney again fills the actress with joy and warm memories.
“I’m so grateful for these films… I love Sidney Prescott," she concluded. "It’s always fun for me to step back in her shoes, and it’s always fun for me to see the cast come back and make one of these films again and try to make another good one."
