Neve Campbell Hints At Significant Pay Raise For 'Scream 7': 'The Studio Heard Me'

Neve Campbell recently announced she would be returning to the 'Scream' franchise after briefly departing due to a pay discrepancy.

Now that she is back on board, many are wondering if the studio had given her a pay increase to negotiate her return. Her recent interview may have given fans the answer.

"Hello, Sydney!"

In March 2024, the actress shocked the world when she announced she would portray Sydney Prescott again in the upcoming 'Scream' film.

“Sidney Prescott is coming back!!!!” Campbell announced on March 12. “It’s always been such a blast and an honor to get to play Sidney in the ‘Scream’ movies. My appreciation for these films and for what they have meant to me, has never waned."

Now that the big news has been out for a few weeks, Campbell sat down with PEOPLE to tell the world how "excited" she is to be back. "I've lived with Sidney for 30 years, and I'm really, really grateful to get to go back to it."

There were no details regarding Campbell's new contract, but the actress now hints that the studio paid up.

The actress then addressed the elephant in the room -- the contract negotiations.

“I'm really grateful that the studio heard me when I talked about pay discrepancy and when I talked about [Scream VI negotiations] not feeling respectful,” she told the magazine. “When they first approached me [for 'Scream 7'], I thought, ‘I don't know what respectful looks like to them. We might be in very different places.’ But they started out in a strong place, so that was lovely."

"It feels nice to have put that out into the world and to have been listened to and to have made a difference in that way," she added. "I hope other people get that opportunity too."

Earlier this year, when announcing her return, she stated, "I’m very happy and proud to say I’ve been asked, in the most respectful way, to bring Sidney back to the screen and I couldn’t be more thrilled.”

When announcing her return to 'Scream,' she also announced that 'Scream 'creator and writer Kevin Williamson would be taking over as director of 'Scream 7.'

"While I’ve been so incredibly lucky to make these films with both the master of horror Wes Craven and the wonderfully talented Matt and Tyler team, I’ve dreamt for many years of how amazing it would be to make one of these movies with Kevin Williamson at the helm," Campbell said in her announcement, "And now it’s happening, Kevin Williamson is going to direct 'Scream 7'!"

Williamson was behind the first, second, and fourth 'Scream' movies and was the executive producer of the 2022 reboot and its sequel “Scream 6.”

Before announcing her return,  Neve Campbell exited the franchise due to pay discrepancy.

“We have to stand up for women in this business and know what we’re worth. That hasn’t changed for me," she said at the time.

"So, if they were to come back to me, it would have to be with a respectful offer that I felt was in keeping with what I bring to this franchise," she added.

After Melissa Barrera was fired from the franchise due to her stance on the Israel-Hamas war, Neve Campbell acknowledged the franchise's turmoil, expressing that she wouldn't be shocked if she received a call following her departure.

“I know things are spinning at the moment, and I would imagine they are spinning at the top trying to figure out what they’re going to do. I would not be surprised to get a call,” the actress told The Hollywood Reporter at the time.

“But at the same time, I made a strong statement a few years ago, which is I did not believe that the way that I was treated would’ve happened if I had been a male and that I deserve a certain thing for having carried this franchise for as long as I have.”

'Scream 7' is anticipated to be released in late 2024 or early 2025.