Neve Campbell is standing behind her decision not to return to the “Scream” franchise.
In an interview with People, the actress spoke about the importance of not undervaluing herself as a woman in the entertainment industry.
“I did not feel that what I was being offered equated to the value that I bring to this franchise, and have brought to this franchise, for 25 years,” she recalled. “And as a woman in this business, I think it’s really important for us to be valued and to fight to be valued.
“I honestly don’t believe that if I were a man and had done five installments of a huge blockbuster franchise over 25 years, that the number that I was offered would be the number that would be offered to a man,” she continued.
Despite initially teasing her appearance in the newest entry of the “Scream” franchise, Campbell backed away from the film when negotiations broke down over her salary.
“And in my soul, I just couldn’t do that,” Campbell added. “I couldn’t walk on set feeling that — feeling undervalued and feeling the unfairness, or lack of fairness, around that.”
READ MORE: Neve Campbell Reveals ‘There Were Plans’ For Her ‘Scream’ Character Before Exit Over Salary Dispute
However, her future in the franchise is to be determined.
“I don’t know that I’m done for good,” the actress told People. “It would really depend on what they came to me with next. It would have to be different. It would have to be a different attitude, and I’m not sure that’s going to happen.
“If they came to me with a number that felt right, that felt respectful, that felt in keeping with my value that I brought to the franchise, I’d be willing to consider [returning in the future],” she added. “I don’t believe it’s dead in the water, but we’ll see.”
Nonetheless, Campbell still wishes “the actors and the directors well.”
“I care for them. I’m sad to not be with them,” she said. “I hope they had a good experience on this one. I don’t want there to be bad blood.”
She also believes that “people will still go see [“Scream 6″]” without her involvement. “People love these movies. I’m not the only reason that these films are successful. In no way do I believe that.”
The actress has starred as Sidney in every film in the horror movie series since the debut of the first “Scream” in 1996.
In June, Campbell felt like she owed fans an explanation regarding her absence from the film, revealing news of the soured negotiations in a statement.
READ MORE: Hayden Panettiere Poses In ‘Scream 6’ Behind-The-Scenes Set Photo
“Sadly, I won’t be making the next Scream film,” she said in a statement to ET. “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.”
Campbell said she was “sad” not to return to her beloved franchise.
“I love these movies. I love Sidney. I love this franchise I’m so grateful for it,” she told People. “But at the same time, I really just couldn’t bear the idea of walking onto [the sixth film] and feeling undervalued.”
“Scream 6” is set to hit theaters on March 31, 2023.
