Scream star doesn't know if devastating moment was "the right choice"

Scream spoilers follow.

Scream star Neve Campbell has admitted she doesn't know whether or not one of the film's devastating moments was "the right choice".

Campbell is one of the three classic characters returning for this new entry in the Scream saga alongside Courteney Cox and David Arquette – but not everyone in that group made it out alive at the end of the film.

In one of the most shocking moments from the film, Arquette's Deputy Dewey is killed by the newest Ghostface after saving Tara and Richie from the killer.

Related: Scream producer defends that divisive character return

We won't spoil the killer's identity here, but Dewey's death is later referenced in a poignant moment where Gale Weathers (Cox) pens a beautiful tribute to her former husband.

Speaking about Dewey's murder, Campbell has now told Variety: "I was devastated. I still have trouble wrapping my head around it. I still question whether it was the right choice, because from what I'm hearing, there are a lot of fans who are really upset."

The murder of Deputy Dewey has indeed been controversial among the franchise's long-time fans. Campbell added that the original Scream trio took time to process the creative choice on set.

"We were sad about it. Courteney had tried to tell the directors to shoot it both ways to give themselves the option because Wes [Craven] would do that sometimes when there were certain characters that were so beloved," she explained.

While directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett went through with killing off Dewey, Campbell doesn't feel as if the film was a takedown of the fandom.

"I think it’s an acknowledgment [of fans]," she joked. "Fans exist and are a part of this circle, so in the meta-world that the Scream films are in, I think they had to be acknowledged."

Scream is now in cinemas.

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Miramax Scream [Blu-ray]

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Miramax Scream trilogy [Blu-ray] [2020]

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Entertainment Film Distributors Scream 4

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Justin Harp

Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.