Kevin Williamson really wants Scream to just give Neve Campbell the money she needs to return
Campbell previously bowed out of the franchise because she felt she wasn't being paid what she deserved
As SAG-AFTRA continues to fight for fair contracts and reasonable pay, original Scream writer Kevin Williamson thinks it’s time for the studio to finally recognize the value of Woodsboro’s classic final girl, Neve Campbell.
Prior to the release of Scream VI, Campbell announced that she was done fighting Ghostface once and for all because she “felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise.” She elaborated in a later interview with People, “I honestly don’t believe that if I were a man and had done five installments of a huge blockbuster franchise over 25 years, that the number that I was offered would be the number that would be offered to a man.”
Williamson, who penned three out of the six Scream films and still serves as an executive producer, thinks it’s time to cough up. “I know exactly where [Campbell is] coming from, I know her well,” he said in an interview on the “Happy Horror Time” podcast (via Entertainment Weekly). “I love and adore her and that’s what she did. It’s right for her. I love everyone involved in Scream and all I can say is, pay her the money. That’s what I would do, I would give her the money.”
“I’m sure there’s a number they can agree on that will make them both happy so hopefully one day they will figure that all out, and who knows. One day,” he continued.
Despite Campbell’s absence looming large over the spring release, Scream VI slashed through both critical and commercial expectations, even logging a franchise best at the box office. Still, with Scream VII greenlit and a new director—Happy Death Day’s Christopher Landon—attached, we’ll see if there’s any room for the final girl to finally return.