2022 has been an incredible time for the horror genre. The killer year was kicked off with the explosively meta return of the Scream franchise. Due to the reboot’s glowing reviews and major box office success, Scream 6 was quickly greenlit. The slasher sequel is coming out next March, but one of the sour points of the highly anticipated next installment has been the news that the franchise star Neve Campbell aka final girl Sidney Prescott would not be returning. Now Scream 2022 break-out star Jenna Ortega has commented on Campbell’s absence.

Speaking exclusively with Entertainment Tonight while promoting the actress’ upcoming Tim Burton-directed Wednesday series, Ortega was asked about how Scream 6 would address Sidney’s absence. Ortega said:

“I feel like I can't really speak too much on that just because it's not necessarily my character, but I will say there's so much going on in this next one, that it's so action-heavy and so gore-heavy that I think you're gonna be distracted almost."

Horror’s new queen continued on saying, “But it's very clear, like, there's references to Sidney, of course.” Sidney’s presence seems to be felt in spirit with a layer of respect for good measure. Ortega also spoke on that saying, “You know, it's nice because there's still a protectiveness in the script and that's something that the actors had naturally over her because obviously we respect her, and we want the best for her. She's missed and thought of."

While it has been hard to think of Scream without Sidney, it's nice to know that the iconic final girl hasn’t been fully forgotten. However, the best thing that the new Scream did was give horror fans a new group of amazing characters for us to fall in love with. Mainly when it came to Tara and Sam Carpenter played by Ortega and Melissa Barrera respectively. Their loving sisterhood storyline and Sam’s connection to famous franchise killer Billy Loomis set up a strong path forward even without Sidney.

Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott in Scream
Image via Paramount

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The problem with big horror franchises like Scream nowadays is the question, what do you do with your surviving final girl — mainly, could you kill them off, and would the fanbase be on board with such a risky idea? The Halloween franchise just gave a definitive answer to that question, but for Sidney, not being in the next Scream may be for the best — if anyone deserves peace it's her. As the franchise grows older, it’s going to get harder to naturally include her as well. She has a family now and, no matter what you try to do with her, the question of respect and justice for the character will always be brought into the conversation. Further, the franchise has essentially covered all the ground it can with Sidney. The killer boyfriend, revenge-seeking mother, jealous brother and cousin, and an entitled fan base have all tried to come for the final girl. However, with that said, there’s nothing saying Campbell can’t return for future films after Scream 6.

Scream is at an interestingly crucial turning point in its franchise's history. While legacy characters like Gale Weathers and Kirby are returning for Scream 6, this next installment is fully embracing its new generation of characters. It remains to be seen whether this “gore-heavy” Scream can succeed without Sidney, but as Ghostface heads to New York, all eyes are on this slasher sequel because of that absence. Scream 6 is releasing in theaters on March 10, 2023.

You can also watch Scream (2022) on Paramount Plus now. The trailer can be viewed down below.