The news just continues to get more and more exciting for Scream 5. From OG cast members like David Arquette returning as Dewey and Courtney Cox reprising her role of Gale Weathers to newcomers like The Boys‘ Jack Quaid being added to the cast, our feeling that this could be one of the best installments of the franchise grows.
And now we have more fantastic news: Bloody Disgusting has confirmed that Neve Campbell is officially returning to reprise her role as Sidney Prescott for the scream relaunch.
The official confirmation comes after months of will-she/won’t-she speculation. In May, Campbell revealed to THR that she had received a lovely letter from new directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett pitching their vision for the relaunch of the franchise under their Radio Silence banner:
“I got this really, really respectful letter from the directors of the new one. They came to me with Scream 5, and these directors are incredibly talented. They wrote a letter honoring Wes in such a beautiful way, and they expressed that the reason they make horror movies is because of Wes and the Scream films. They also expressed how blown away they are at the idea of actually getting an opportunity to make one of them and how much they want to honor and respect Wes’ vision. It was just beautiful, and I was really grateful.”
At the time, however, she clarified that she was only in the very early phases of negotiations and wasn’t a sure thing to join, particularly with the uncertainty of COVID-19 being a factor. Clearly, negotiations went smoothly and Campbell is on board with their new vision. “After spending time speaking with Radio Silence, they have shown such love, respect and admiration for Wes Craven and all that he’s created in the Scream franchise,” she said in a statement. “I am beyond excited to step back into the role of Sidney Prescott and return to Woodsboro.”
For their own part, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett and the rest of Radio Silence are just as thrilled, saying
“We’re pinching ourselves! It’s hard to express how much the character Sidney Prescott shaped our love of movies and to have the chance to work with Neve is truly a dream come true. It just wouldn’t be a Scream movie without Neve and we’re so excited and honored to join her in Woodsboro.”
Indeed, it’s hard to imagine a Scream movie without Neve Campbell as a part of it. She is to the Scream franchise what Jamie Lee Curtis is to the Halloween franchise; without her, it just doesn’t feel right. Fitting, seeing as how Campbell’s Sidney Prescott took the Final Girl reins for a new generation from Curtis’s Laurie Strode when Scream reinvigorated the slasher franchise in the 1990s.
Scream 5 will shoot in Wilmington, North Carolina. Spyglass and Paramount Pictures plan to release the film on January 14, 2022.
