Scream 5: Neve Campbell Reveals How The Directors Won Her Over

Sidney in Scream 4

The horror genre has been in an exciting renaissance for the past few years, as original projects arrived in theaters to box office acclaim. This success has also seen the resurgence of beloved horror franchises like Halloween, Child's Play, and now Scream. The latter property will return to theaters with Scream 5, helmed by Ready or Not directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. The original trio of lead actors are set to return, and Neve Campbell recently explained how she was convinced to join the project.

Neve Campbell is a horror legend, thanks to leading role as Sidney Prescott in the Scream movies. The generations fo fans were thrilled to learn that The House of Cards alum would be returning for Scream 5, alongside Courteney Cox and David Arquette. But the upcoming sequel also marks the first installment since horror visionary Wes Craven's death. Campbell recently spoke to why she was convinced to join the project without Craven, saying:

Oh you guys, I'm 47 and I'm going to be covered in blood. I'm excited to get back to it. I'm excited to see Courteney and David. I'm excited to see this young new cast. I'm excited to work with these new directors. I had been apprehensive because our incredible director Wes Craven passed away and I wasn't sure about doing a film without him. But the new directors came to me with this beautiful letter, saying they've become directors and love film because of these films and because of Wes. And they really want to be true to his story and his journey with these films. So, I was really happy to hear that.

Well, this is exciting. It looks like Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett love for the original Scream movies is what convinced Neve Campbell to sign on to Scream 5 with the filmmakers. And considering their work on Ready or Not, you can certainly see how the duo was influenced by Wes Craven's work with the slasher property.

Neve Campbell's comments come from her recent appearance on The Talk. While speaking with the hosts, Campbell explained how she ultimately got involved in Scream 5, as well as her original concerns for the project. Luckily she was convinced to reprise her role as Sidney Prescott, at least partly due to a letter that the directors sent her. Besides, what's Woodsboro without Sid?

Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are the duo tasked with making Scream 5 into a reality, and they have some seriously big shoes to fill following the death of Wes Craven. But Ready or Not had the same mixture of comedy and horror that the Scream franchise is known for. Eventually their take on the property won over the original trio of lead actors, as well as a group of newcomers.

Aside from the trio of leading actors, Marley Shelton will also be reprising her Scream 4 role as Judy Hicks. And while hardcore Scream fans are hoping that Hayden Panettiere's Kirby returns, the movie's cast is largely made up of newcomers. Familiar faces include 13 Reasons Why star Dylan Minnette, Babysitter: Killer Queen's Jenna Ortega, and The Boys star Jack Quaid. Ready or Not actress Samara Weaving was also approached for the project, but had a scheduling conflict.

Scream 5 is filming now, with the movie expected to hit theaters on January 14th, 2022. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.