Neve Campbell has something to scream about after reportedly securing a massive payday to return to the Scream franchise.
After skipping Scream VI over an alleged salary dispute, Variety reported on Wednesday, February 25, that Campbell, 52, secured a nearly $7 million deal to reprise her role as heroine Sidney Prescott in Scream 7.
The major salary is $5 million more that Campbell’s longtime costar Courteney Cox, who has played Gale Weathers in every Scream film since the 1996 original, received to appear in the same film. According to Variety, Cox, 61, was awarded $2 million for her return. (Campbell originated her character in the 1996 film as well.)
Us Weekly has reached out to representatives for Campbell and Paramount for comment.
When Campbell does grace the big screen again to face-off against Ghostface, the film will once again revolve around her character — and her teenage daughter — after a pivot in the story line for 2022’s Scream reboot and 2023’s Scream VI.
In the 2022 film, Melissa Barrera was the star, playing Sam Carpenter, while Jenna Ortega portrayed her sister, Tara Carpenter. Campbell and Cox were also part of the revived cast.
Barrera, 35, and Ortega, 23, returned for Scream VI the following year, their star power assisting Paramount and Spyglass Pictures in raking in a reported $161 million at the global box office.
However, the Scream franchise has recently shaken up after Barrera was fired from the upcoming seventh installment. The actress received backlash in late 2023 over her comments about Israel’s war in Gaza.
Ortega then exited the project in November 2023, citing scheduling conflicts with hit Netflix series Wednesday.
The film’s original director, Christopher Landon, also left after receiving death threats over Barrera’s firing, despite not being responsible for the casting decision.
Paramount and Spyglass have since hired Dawson’s Creek creator Kevin Williamson to take over as director. Williamson, a writer for the Scream franchise since the original film, is working alongside one of 2022’s Scream and Scream VI writers Guy Busick.
The rewrite — which includes working Campbell’s Sidney back into the fold — reportedly cost roughly $500,000, according to Variety. The outlet added that the 2026 movie has a $45 million budget, an increase from the sixth movie’s $35 million price tag.
Despite the drama surrounding Scream 7’s production, Campbell has expressed her excitement over returning to her horror film roots.
“It’s been thirty years since I first picked up the phone, and now I’m picking it up again,” Campbell wrote via Instagram in October 2025, sharing the trailer for the new film. “I’m so grateful to the incredible team and to all the fans who have supported Scream and Sidney through the years.”
She added: “Kevin Williamson and I couldn’t be more thrilled to share with you the trailer for #Scream7, only in theatres February 27, 2026.”
Her return has also revived hype around the franchise thanks to the added layer of nostalgia.
“I’m so excited to see Sidney as the focus again,” one fan wrote in Campbell’s Instagram comments. “You deserve All of the great things! 🥰 February 27th can’t get here fast enough. Hugs to you and the cast! ❤️.”
Director of movie analytics at Fandango and founder of Box Office Theory, Shawn Robbins, told Variety on Wednesday, “Neve Campbell is to Scream what Jamie Lee Curtis is for the Halloween franchise.”
“She’s a big draw, especially for older generations who grew up with the original films,” he explained. “Initially there was thought that the momentum from the two previous films could be lost. And there’s certainly a section of the audience that’s upset about who is not coming back. But now the pendulum is swinging. This is driving a lot of interest about how certain characters are coming back.”
Scream 7 hits theaters on Friday, February 27.
