Neve Campbell is exiting the "Scream" franchise over a pay dispute.
The actor has revealed that she will not be appearing in the sixth installment of the slasher franchise because of an inadequate offer.
"Sadly, I won't be making the next Scream film," Campbell said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "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 played protagonist Sidney Prescott in the original 1996 slasher created by Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven. Earlier this year a fifth chapter received widespread success prompting Paramount and Spyglass to plan a sixth release.
"It's been a very difficult decision to move on," Campbell added in her statement. "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."
After "Scream 3" was released in 2000, Campbell moved to England where she pursued a career in theater. Several years later she decided to dive back into the world of film and television. She appeared in "Mad Men" and landed a recurring role in "House of Cards." When she was asked to reprise her role as Prescott in the fifth "Scream" film, she did not hesitate. It did still take lengthy negotiations for her to receive the pay she felt she deserved though, according to Elle.
"Only in the past few years have I felt confident to ask [for more money] because I used to be told, 'Oh you can't ask,' " Campbell said. "I wonder if I'd been a male working on the fifth film of this franchise, if it would've been the same conversation in my negotiation. We got there in the end, but I feel like it would have been different if I was a man. I honestly do."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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