Scream is the pinnacle of the horror satirical genre. The franchise has introduced us to some of the biggest stars in Hollywood and has been a blockbuster hit. But why have some of the actors’ salaries been controversial in recent years?
The original movie introduced us to Ghostface and cemented the serial killer into the Hall of Fame of villains. The original movie earned $173 million worldwide and all of the movies combined have grossed a combined worldwide total of $908.5M. Surely, most of the cast have returned for every sequel. But one prominent actor almost refused to get back into it due to pay issues.
Related: Courteney Cox’s Net Worth Reveals What She Makes For ‘Scream’ Compared to ‘Friends’
Appearances: Scream – Scream 5, Scream 7
Scream 7 Salary: $7 million
Variety reported that Neve Campbell received a $7 million salary for her return as Sidney Prescott in Scream 7, $5 million more than co-star Courteney Cox. She did not return to Scream 6 due to pay disputes.
“I just didn’t feel right. I just knew that my value to this franchise was bigger than what had been offered,” Campbell told CBS Mornings. “For me, I needed to make that choice.”
Appearances: Scream – Scream 7
Salary: $2 million
Variety reported that Courteney Cox received $2 million for Scream 7. Cox has starred as Gale Weathers in five Scream movies: 1996’s Scream, 1997’s Scream 2, 2000’s Scream 3, 2011’s Scream 4 and 2022’s Scream 5. According to Forbes, Cox made $1 million for Scream; $5 million for Scream 2 and $7 million for Scream 3.
Appearances: Scream – Scream 5, Scream 7
Salary: Unknown
While David Arquette’s take-home pay from each of the films in the franchise has yet to be publicly reported, co-stars like Campbell earned a combined $9 million on the first three films, according to TheRichest.
Appearances: Scream 5 – 6
Salary: Unknown
Melissa Barrera’s Scream salary isn’t known. The actress was fired from the franchise after she posted pro-Palestine social media posts that Spyglass deemed As anti-Semetic.
She recalled the firing in Rolling Stone in 2024, “I’m not the first person that’s happened to, but it was shocking.” She added that she felt “at peace” by then.
“I think everything that happened was very transparent, on both sides, and I know who I am, and I know that what I said always came from a place of love and a place of humanity and a place of human rights and a place of freedom for people, which shouldn’t be controversial,” she told the outlet at the time. “It shouldn’t be up for debate.”
Appearances: Scream 5 – 6
Salary: $5 Million
Jenna Ortega’s salary for both Scream movies included $520,000 for her role in Scream and $5 million for her return in Scream VI, according to Just the Nobodys Podcast.
She didn’t return for Scream 7 due to Melissa Barrera’s and the rest of the team’s departure. She told The Cut, “It had nothing to do with pay or scheduling,” Ortega said. “The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart.”
“If Scream VII wasn’t going to be with that team of directors and those people I fell in love with, then it didn’t seem like the right move for me in my career at the time,” she added.
Appearances: Scream 5 – 7
Salary: Unknown
Jasmin Savoy Brown’s current salary for Scream isn’t known.
Appearances: Scream 5 – 7
Salary: Unknown
While Mason Gooding’s salary isn’t disclosed, he talked about how money was a factor in production hiccups. “If it could make money, I guarantee, they’re making it,” he said. “It’s all about keeping up with what feels like is the best movie for the fans. ‘Scream’ doesn’t exist without the people who enjoy is as much as they do. … If people want it, they will certainly try their best to see it happen.”
