David Arquette is weighing in on Neve Campbell’s decision to not return for the sixth Scream movie.
“I’d love for her to be a part of it. A Scream movie without Sidney (Campbell’s character) is kind of unfortunate, but I understand her decision,” Arquette, 50, said during a Monday, June 6, interview with ComicBook. “It’s all a business in a way, they have to balance all these elements to fit a budget and produce a film. I get it, she’s still alive! She [can] absolutely be in future ones, but I think it’s up to fans to call for that in the future.”
The Never Been Kissed actor added, “I respect her decision, for sure.” Arquette’s comments came hours after Campbell, 48, revealed that her decision to leave the Scream franchise was due to salary disputes.
“Sadly, I won’t be making the next Scream film,” the Party of Five alum said in a statement to Us Weekly on Monday. “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 the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise.”
Campbell continued, “To all my Scream fans, I love you. You’ve always been so incredibly supportive to me. I’m forever grateful to you and to what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years.”
The Craft star previously admitted she was reluctant to do Scream 5, as it was the first movie in the series without Wes Craven’s involvement. Craven, who directed the first four Scream films, died in August 2015 from brain cancer at age 76.
Rose McGowan, David Arquette, and Neve Campbell in ‘Scream.’ Miramax/Kobal/Shutterstock
“I had been apprehensive because, you know, our director, our incredible director Wes Craven passed away, and I wasn’t sure about doing a film without him,” Campbell said on The Talk in October 2020. “But the new directors came to me with this beautiful letter saying that they’ve become directors and love film because of these films, and because of Wes, and they really want to be true to his story and his journey with these films. So, I was really happy to hear that.” Scream 5 was directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.
There will be at least one Scream OG in the sixth installment, however. “I did not die so yes you will see me,” Courteney Cox, who plays TV journalist Gale Weathers, told Variety in an interview published on Monday. “Gale’s pretty strong. She may not ever [die], but who knows!”
As for Arquette, he told ComicBook that he’s “not looped in” on casting for Scream 6, as his character was killed off in the last movie. The Virginia native and Cox, 57, were married from 1999 to 2013 and share a daughter, 17-year-old Coco. The former couple, who met on the set of the first Scream film in 1996, stayed good friends after their divorce. “He’s my best friend in the world,” Cox said of Arquette during a 2013 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
In January, Arquette told The New York Times that he had “no apprehensions” about working with his ex-wife on Scream 5. ” It’s a cathartic experience to just be able to act opposite Courteney,” he said.
The former professional wrestler married producer Christina McLarty in 2015. The couple share two children, 8-year-old Charlie and 5-year-old Augustus. Cox has been dating musician Johnny McDaid since 2013.
