When it wasfirst announcedthat the star of theScreamfranchise,Neve Campbell, wouldn’t be returning for next year’sScream VI, fans were understandably upset. The movies extended across nearly three decades, and Sidney Prescott (Campbell) remained a constant at keeping Ghostface coming for blood. So what made Sidney such a powerful protagonist in an ever-evolving cast of characters, and why is it so difficult for fans to see the title passed on? Collider’sPerri Nemiroffspoke with the original screenwriter,Kevin Williamson, who shared the secret to Sidney’s success, and how a lot of that came down to Campbell’s own ideas for her character.
Before the sequels, Sidney Prescott was already a unique final girl. She refused to be victimized, was firm in her convictions, and foughthard. When Williamson was approached for a sequel, the screenwriter’s main concern was providing the audience with something new, though he admitted, “there’s really no new stories to tell in a lot of ways, so it’s really about execution, and it’s really about your characters.” With the entire motive revolving around Sidney for a second and third time withScream 3, Williamson added, “You have to figure out where you’re going to bring the heart and the soul of your character alive so that the audience cares.”
It was with Campbell that Williamson found the heart and soul that he was searching for. After losing nearly everyone close to her inScreamand its follow-up, Sidney changed her identity and relocated – again – to a secluded property where she worked for a crisis hotline. According to Williamson, this idea was pitched by Campbell, which he says helped secure the character’s lasting legacy. He explained:
“I feel like Sidney connects to a lot of people and I think Laurie Strode connects. You connect with Laurie Strode, anyone who survived that kind of trauma. I think Neve was very smart about saying, ‘Why don’t we put her as an advocate for victims in the sequel?’ It was her idea to do all that, and I think she was very smart about it, and I like the idea that Sidney has now spent her life being an advocate for other survivors of trauma and violence. So now, how do you not care about someone who spends their life doing that, you know? I think that you’ve just got to care — emotion, emotion.”
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Even as her life’s tragedies are dragged through the media, and she was mocked for being the “Angel of Death,” Sidney devoted her time to supporting others, and working through their trauma. When, inMatt Bettinelli-OlpinandTyler Gillett’sScream 5, Sidney was summoned back to a fresh crop of killings, she was hesitant, thinking first of her new family, but she still dutifully returned to help stop this generation’s Ghostface.
So while we may miss Campbell’s presence in the upcomingScream VI, all final girls deserve a rest. The sequels feature a talented ensemble with connections to the originals which allows the franchise to carry on in brand-new ways withMelissa Barrera’s Sam Carpenter and her sister, Tara (Jenna Ortega). Because of Campbell’s compassionate relationship with her character, Sidney Prescott will live on off-screen, andmaybe even returnsomeday. Until then, let’s see where this new crew takes us in New York City on June 19, 2025.
