Editor's note: The following article contains spoilers for Scream VI.

In 2022, Scream took us all by surprise by showing how the most successful slasher franchise of all time could still survive after the passing of its creator, Wes Craven. More than a decade after the release of Scream 4, Scream murdered box office expectations by presenting a new generation of survivors and bringing back legacy characters such as Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers, David Arquette as Dewey Riley, and Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott. 2022 Scream's success led to a sequel being confirmed while the movie was still in theaters, to the joy of fans. Unfortunately, a few months later, we received the distasteful news Sidney would not be part of Scream VI, apparently because the studio refused to offer Campbell a pay worthy of her legacy.

While the Scream franchise can, and should, outlive its legacy characters, it felt strange to go to theaters knowing we wouldn’t see Sidney face Ghostface again. Fortunately, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick found a great way to justify Sidney’s absence and still make another killer film, proving Scream VI didn't need the iconic final girl after all. But that doesn’t mean all is well in the Scream franchise, as Campbell still deserved much better than what she got.

RELATED: Are We Traitors to Neve Campbell for Going to See 'Scream VI'?

How 'Scream VI' Explains Sidney Prescott's Absence

Ghostface holding a knife in Scream 6
Image Via Paramount Pictures

In 2022's Scream, Sidney returns to Woodsboro after the new Ghostface killers murder Dewey. While the focus of 2022’s movie lies on sisters Tara (Jenna Ortega) and Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), it felt good to see Sidney and Gale joining forces once more to take now another Ghostface wannabe. Sidney’s return also revealed to fans that the final girl had married Scream 3’s Detective Mark Kincaid (Patrick Dempsey), with whom she had three children. 2022's Scream found the perfect balance between honoring the past and pushing the franchise to the future, a feat that Scream VI also does for the most part.

In Scream VI, the four survivors of Scream's Woodsboro massacre move to New York City to start a new life. However, a few months after arriving in the big city, a new Ghostface targets Sam, Tara, and siblings Chad (Mason Gooding) and Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown). As expected, Gale soon shows up at crime scenes, partly because she wants to help and partly because she wants to get a new scoop on the latest Ghostface attacks. It’s Gale who tells the new generation Sidney won’t come to rescue them this time. Sidney and Mark have taken their children to a safe place to ensure the new Ghostface won’t be able to harm their family.

It makes perfect sense for Sidney Prescott to skip a battle against Ghostface. After everything she suffered for five movies, she earned the right to put family first and take care of her children before lending others a helping hand. With just a couple of lines, Scream VI explains Sidney's absence and gives fans enough information to focus on the mystery of the time. Unfortunately, the character’s happy end leaves a sour taste in the mouth when we think Sidney’s absence had to be conjured because Campbell was not paid according to what she’s worth.

'Scream VI's Success Doesn’t Justify Ditching Neve Campbell

Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott in Scream
Image via Paramount

If Campbell had chosen to exit the Scream franchise to focus on other projects, Sidney’s happy ending would have been well-deserved. However, when we think about what happened in real life, Scream VI’s justification for the character's absence creates a dissonance that’s hard to ignore. Because if Sidney got her happy ending, the same could not be said of Campbell. The star made it clear that her not appearing in Scream VI was all about money, as she was offered a salary that didn’t consider how much she defined the Scream franchise for two decades. Campbell explained to Deadline in an official statement :

“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."

This is Hollywood, and things get fuzzy when it comes to money. Still, it feels like Scream VI’s creative team had every intention to bring Campbell back, as they are huge fans of the franchise. And a few months after Campbell announced her departure, Radio Silence, the collective formed by Bettinelli-Olpin, Gillet, and Chad Villella, explained how it saddened them to see the star go. When asked if they were worried about Campbell’s absence, Villella said:

"I wouldn't say worried. But we are massive fans of Neve Campbell and what Sidney Prescott is in the ‘Scream’ universe. Everything we did on Five was because we were fans of hers for years and years and years in the Scream legacy. So I think that 'worried' is not the right word. We played the hand that we were dealt. And we're very, very proud of the movie that we made, and the way that the entire cast bonded and came together on this new one and creating that thing and keeping that family element alive was very important to us."

It feels like Campbell’s departure from the franchise was caused by a simple budget concern. And, yes, we can understand that horror movies are usually made on small budgets and don’t have the financial support other genres get. Still, 2022's Scream grossed over $140 million against a production budget of $24 million, a massive hit for an R-rated movie. So maybe producers could have spared a few extra bucks to bring Campbell back. Or, if they truly wanted to focus on the younger generation, perhaps it would’ve been best not to mention Sidney in Scream VI.

Scream VI is currently slashing fans' expectations in theaters.