Neve Campbell quits Scream film franchise after 26 years over salary dispute

Neve Campbell is quitting the Scream film franchise after 26 years over a salary dispute.

The Wild Things actress, 48, announced she did not think the wage offer for her appearance in the sixth instalment of the long-running slasher series equated to the value she has brought to the movies.

She also referenced difficulties over establishing herself "as a woman" in the film industry and Scream series.

Neve said in a statement released today (June 6): "Sadly I won't be making the next Scream film.

"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.

"It's been a very difficult decision to move on. 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."

Neve has played the terrorised main protagonist of the Scream series, Sidney Prescott, in all five of the films since 1996, and most recently reprised the role in the reboot released this year.

[[nid:565232]]

It made $140 million (S$193 million) at the box office against a $24 million budget, with the last five films in the franchise pulling in ticket sales of $744.5 million.

Neve previously told Entertainment Tonight she was unsure about returning for the sixth film.

She added: "I don't know if I am," before saying she "can't get into it".

Her comments followed the death of creator Wes Craven, killed by a brain tumour in 2016 four weeks before his 76th birthday.

The director's Scream original about mask-wearing knife killer Ghostface was credited with resurrecting the slasher genre and grossed $173 million in the US on a $15 million budget.

It has been reported Neve was paid a total of $9 million for the first three films — $1,500,000 for the first, $3,500,000 for the second, and $4,000,000 for the third.

It is not clear how much she made from the fourth and fifth instalments but it is common in Hollywood to have "back end deals".

They see main stars lower their salary fees in exchange for a percentage of box office receipts, especially in the case of lucrative franchises.

Neve's exit comes as Dermot Mulroney, 58, was today named as the latest actor to join the cast of the sixth Scream film, with The Hollywood Reporter saying the My Best Friend's Wedding star will play a cop.

[[nid:487619]]

The most recent reboot of the movie brought back Neve with original stars including Friends actress Courteney Cox, 57, who plays TV reporter Gale Weathers, and the actress' real-life ex-husband David Arquette, 50, who reprised his role as gormless police officer Deputy Dwight 'Dewey' Riley.

Production for the sixth slasher film is expected to begin this summer and Courteney is still attached to the project.

Newcomers from the latest reboot are also set to return, including Melissa Barrera, 31, Jasmin Savoy Brown, 28, and 19-year-old Jenna Ortega.

Courteney told Entertainment Tonight she feels the plot of the upcoming film is top quality, adding: "I don't know about contracts and where things are, but I'll tell you in the script — it's a really good one."