When it was first announced that the star of the Scream franchise, Neve Campbell, wouldn’t be returning for next year’s Scream VI, fans were understandably upset. The movies extended across nearly three decades, and Sidney Prescott (Campbell) remained a constant at keeping Ghostface coming for blood. So what made Sidney such a powerful protagonist in an ever-evolving cast of characters, and why is it so difficult for fans to see the title passed on? Collider’s Perri Nemiroff spoke with the original screenwriter, Kevin Williamson, who shared the secret to Sidney’s success, and how a lot of that came down to Campbell’s own ideas for her character.
Before the sequels, Sidney Prescott was already a unique final girl. She refused to be victimized, was firm in her convictions, and fought hard. When Williamson was approached for a sequel, the screenwriter’s main concern was providing the audience with something new, though he admitted, “there’s really no new stories to tell in a lot of ways, so it’s really about execution, and it’s really about your characters.” With the entire motive revolving around Sidney for a second and third time with Scream 3, Williamson added, “You have to figure out where you’re going to bring the heart and the soul of your character alive so that the audience cares.”
It was with Campbell that Williamson found the heart and soul that he was searching for. After losing nearly everyone close to her in Scream and its follow-up, Sidney changed her identity and relocated – again – to a secluded property where she worked for a crisis hotline. According to Williamson, this idea was pitched by Campbell, which he says helped secure the character’s lasting legacy.
