"It's an honor to have the opportunity as a woman to play someone who isn't a victim in this kind of genre."
Being part of an iconic film franchise like Scream comes with its own unique set of experiences. Neve Campbell, who is back for the fifth installment of the film (in theaters January 14), has been through them all: "I was really surprised the first time I saw my face on someone's leg." Tattoos of her character Sidney Prescott aside, Campbell knows she's in a special position. "It's rare to have a movie be successful enough that anyone wants to go back to it 25 years later." But this iteration of Scream is bittersweet: The director of the first four films, Wes Craven, died in 2015. "We definitely felt his absence, but we felt his presence as well because [directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett] really did want to honor the movies and keep it in the vein of all the other ones," she says. Even though Campbell herself doesn't watch horror films ("I'm a little sensitive"), she "hopes people feel safe enough to go back to the theaters [for Scream]. She notes, "I think a big part is the joy of sitting with an audience and being scared together and laughing together."
What is it about this iteration of Scream that inspired you to reprise your role?
I love playing Sidney Prescott. She's a badass, she's wonderful and she's an icon to a lot of people. It's an honor to have the opportunity as a woman to play someone who isn't a victim in this kind of genre. So coming back is always exciting. I had been hesitant obviously after Wes Craven passed away. He was such an incredible star and the reason these movies are so successful. Such an amazing man. But then [directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett] actually wrote me a letter. They described how they had become filmmakers because of the Scream movies and because of Wes Craven and how unbelievably surreal it was that they were having this opportunity to make this film, and how much they wanted to honor and respect it. That just blew me away. Then I realized who they were, because I had seen Ready or Not, and thought that that was such an incredible movie and actually could see the correlation between the two films in style. I realized these guys are really talented and they've got something and they appreciate the Scream movies. They'll bring something to it and certainly respect the franchise. So that made me excited.
As you said, Wes Craven really was the Scream franchise. Was it difficult adjusting to his absence?
We definitely felt his absence, but we felt his presence as well because [Matt and Tyler] really did want to want to honor the movies and keep it in the vein of all the other ones. I don't think it's a secret to say that we end up coming back to Stu Macher's house in the movie. So we walked onto that set, rebuilt identically to the house that we worked in 25 years ago, and that was a surreal and beautiful experience. I did cry when I went inside, as did Courteney [Cox] and David [Arquette] because we felt Wes there and we missed him.
25 years! That's just wild. Did you think you'd ever come back to the franchise?
It's very rare to have a movie be successful enough that anyone wants to go back to it 25 years later. I certainly am aware that people love this movie, and love these movies. It's surreal how much. So I wasn't hesitant in the sense of, "Oh, is anyone going to want to see this?" If there was ever a moment where I was like, "I don't want to be typecast, I'm so known for these horror movies," which there were moments in my life where I felt that. But at 48 years old, to be a part of a franchise that is this successful, I'm just grateful.
How do you think this version of Scream will excite new audiences?
I think in the same way that it excited the young fans 25 years ago, this is still a great ride. It's a fun genre. There are fun characters. It's terrifying. It's funny, it's well-written, it's well-crafted, it's well-directed. It's a way to get away for two hours and just laugh and be scared and have a good ride, which I think we're all looking for right now. I think we're all begging for something like that. I hope people will go to the theater to see this and not wait to see it on a small screen. But these movies are so much fun to see with an audience. When the first one came out, people went back and back and back and back. I think a big part of that is the joy of sitting with an audience and being scared together and laughing together and going for the ride together. So I really hope people feel safe enough to go back to the theaters and see this.
Scream does an amazing job of balancing drama/horror with comedy. Is that something that you responded to?
I think comedy is a huge part of these movies and the very reason that they're as successful as they are. I think the fact that Kevin [Williamson] put so much humor into the film is what people appreciate and love and admire about these films. I think humor is absolutely essential to Scream movies. It wouldn't be a Scream movie if it didn't have it. I certainly am not great with horror movies, so I need that respite.
What's your favorite horror movie?
I find them really difficult to watch. The Changeling with George C. Scott, which is the very first horror movie that I ever saw, is the reason I didn't see many after that. I was 13 years old, had a sleepover and I don't think I slept for a month. I'm just a little sensitive.
You, Courteney Cox and David Arquette are so iconic together. What was it like to reunite with them?
We've all been on this ride together and it's been a really fun ride. So we mean a lot to each other. Obviously David and Courteney are on a whole other level. They met on the first one, married on the second, had a child on the third, separated on the fourth and are great friends and great co-parents on the fifth. So it's been quite a journey for them. But I love those two, they're incredibly special people, obviously hilarious, but really wonderful human beings. We share these memories, like with family, there are only certain people who carry a story together, and we carry this story together. So I always really appreciate seeing them and get excited to see them. Also making these movies is always like being at summer camp. This one certainly was for the younger kids, it was great to see how they all stayed in a hotel together. I didn't because I had my kids with me, so I was in a house. But it was nice to see that they had a similar experience. Because of COVID they were sort of forced to be in one hotel together, which was exactly what we experienced in Santa Rosa [California] 25 years ago. They got really tight and they played games every day and became best buddies. That's exactly what happened to us. So I hope they'll have a similar journey as the films continue.
What are some of the more unique encounters you've had with Scream fans?
I was really surprised the first time I saw my face on someone's leg. People do properly geek out on these movies and they mean a lot to people. It's funny, you wouldn't expect that a horror movie would be the thing that might change a person's life. But the amount of people who've come up and said that these films changed the way they felt about themselves or made them more confident or more secure or more forthright, or less of a victim, the amount of people who've told me that is pretty astounding. That's been their experience with Scream and it's a nice surprise. When we made the first film we were all sitting around a bonfire one night, and I remember us saying, "Do you think this could actually be successful enough that there might be a Halloween costume?" And we said, no, no, no way. And here we are. Every Halloween, I open my door and there's Ghostface, which is always my surprise for them. It's my free costume. I'm just Sidney Prescott.
It was recently announced you were joining Netflix's Lincoln Lawyer. Can you tell us anything about that?
Obviously, they're very popular books, so there's going to be a built-in audience there. I think people always enjoy a good courtroom drama. I think they did a really great job of casting Manuel Garcia-Rulfo who plays the Lincoln Lawyer. I think he's really fantastic in the show.
About the writer
A writer/comedian based in Los Angeles. Host of the weekly podcast Parting Shot with H. Alan Scott, ... Read more
