Neve Campbell returns to the Scream franchise! Star reveals she WILL appear in Scream 7 after leaving the horror movie series due to a salary dispute

Neve Campbell has announced her shock return to the Scream franchise after back-to-back exits from the film series due to her salary.

The 50-year-old actress, who played iconic final girl Sidney Prescott in five Scream films but bowed out for Scream VI, revealed her return for Scream 7 in an Instagram post detailing the script for the untitled next film.

Scream 7 will reunite Campbell with Kevin Williamson, who developed and wrote the screenplay for Scream (1996), along with those for Scream 2 (1997) and Scream 4 (2011). He will direct the new episode.

She wrote: ‘Hello everyone. I am so excited to announce this news!!! Sidney Prescott returns!!!! It has always been a blast and an honor to play Sidney in the Scream films.

“My appreciation for these films and what they have meant to me has never diminished. I am very happy and proud to say that I have been asked in the most respectful way to bring Sidney back to the screen, and I couldn’t be happier!!! Well actually I could.

“Although I have been so lucky to have been able to make these films with both the master of horror Wes Craven and the wonderfully talented team of Matt and Tyler, I have dreamed for years of how amazing it would be to make one of these films.” with Kevin Williamson at the helm.

“And now that the time has come, Kevin Williamson will be directing Scream 7! This was his baby and it is his brilliant mind that created this world.

‘Kevin is not only a source of inspiration as an artist, but has been a dear friend for years. To the awesome Scream fans, I hope you’re as excited as I am. See you on set @kevwilliamson.’

Campbell played lead character Sidney Prescott for five films over twenty years, but announced in 2022 that she would not appear in the sixth installment.

She said the difficult decision was the result of failed salary negotiations, which she blamed for rampant “gender inequality” in the film business.

Campbell felt “undervalued” because she was starring in a horror franchise that grossed almost $1 billion.

But the Canadian star previously insisted that she'[doesn’t] wish these movies ill will” and revealed that she recently saw Scream 6 for the first time.

‘I wanted the movie to be good. It’s not like I’m sitting in my house thinking, ‘I hope it sucks, I hope it doesn’t go well,'” she told fans at Monster-Mania Con earlier this month.

She said she doesn’t know why it “took me a minute” to finally see it, but she was impressed.

Scream VI features a star-studded cast, including Wednesday star Jenna Ortega and The Babysitter’s Samara Weaving.

It also saw the return of franchise vets Courteney Cox, Skeet Ulrich and Hayden Panettiere.

It premiered in theaters on March 10, 2023, and earned $169 million at the worldwide box office on a production budget of a reported $24 million.

“I actually thought they did a really good job,” Campbell said. “I think the cast is really powerful, great actors.”

Regardless of whether she stars in the film or not, Campbell said she cares deeply about “all the people involved” and only takes issue with the studio executives who denied her salary request.

‘There is someone at the top who only thinks about money and that is their prerogative. But for the rest, for everyone else, I think it’s important that these films are good. And I think that’s important for you too, because I know you love these movies,” she concluded.

Last year, Campbell further explained her decision to leave the cult horror that made her famous.

Speak with PEOPLEthe Canadian actress doubled down on previous comments about walking away from her role as Sidney Prescott due to a salary dispute.

“I love this franchise. “I’m so grateful for it, but at the same time I really couldn’t bear the idea of ​​walking up there and feeling undervalued,” she explained.

She reiterated that this was solely due to the fact that she did not receive the amount of money she deserved for her contribution.

“I didn’t feel like what was being offered to me equaled the value that I have brought to this franchise for 25 years and that I have brought to this franchise.

“And as a woman in this industry, I think it’s really important for us to be valued and to fight to be valued.”

Campbell said she felt slighted because of gender inequality, saying: “I don’t believe that if I were a man and had done five installments of a huge blockbuster franchise in 25 years, the number I was offered would be the number given to a man would be offered.

“And deep down, I just couldn’t do that.”

The star announced in June 2022 that he would not return for the next blockbuster.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be doing the next Scream movie,” she revealed. “As a woman, I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream.

“I felt that the offer presented to me did not match the value I brought to the franchise. It was a very difficult decision to move on.

“To all my Scream fans: I love you. You have always been so incredibly supportive of me. I am forever grateful to you and what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years.”

The film’s most recent revival, released in January 2022, brought back original stars Courteney Cox and David Arquette and earned $140 million at the box office against a $24 million budget.

Scream IV saw newcomers Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding and Jenna Ortega join the cast.

Prior to her official departure announcement, Campbell told Entertainment Tonight that she was unsure if she would return for the sixth film, saying, “I don’t know if I am,” adding that she “can’t get into it.”

Scream hit theaters in December 1996 and made a huge splash, raking in $173 million worldwide on a $14 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo.

The Wes Craven-directed film featured a cast including David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Rose McGowan, Drew Barrymore and Campbell, and spawned three sequels: 1997’s Scream 2, 2000’s Scream 3 and 2011’s Scream 4.

A troubled Sidney and her boyfriend Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) went upstairs to get intimate, but shortly afterwards he was stabbed by Ghostface.

Sidney stumbles downstairs and after taking a gun belonging to police officer Dewey (David Arquette), she is left stunned when her friends Stu and Randy (Jamie Kennedy) accuse each other of being the killer.

She then finds Billy injured but alive. He then takes the gun and says “we all go a little crazy sometimes” and shoots Randy, revealing that he faked his injuries with corn syrup and that he and Stu are the killers.

They plan to kill Sidney and frame her father Neil for the killing spree, while also admitting that they killed her mother Maureen because she was having an affair with Billy’s father.

A bloody battle ensues in which Stu is stabbed by Billy and Billy is ultimately shot in the head by Sidney.