Nineteen ninety-eight was a weird time for movies. We were midway through a decade obsessed with "erotic thrillers," but the genre was getting stale. Then came Wild Things. It featured a swampy, neon-soaked Florida, a plot that felt like a fever dream, and a cast that shouldn't have worked but somehow did. At the center of it all were Neve Campbell and Denise Richards, two actresses who were essentially the "it" girls of the moment for very different reasons.
Neve was the wholesome, reliable lead of Party of Five and the "final girl" in Scream. Denise was the literal definition of the blonde bombshell, fresh off Starship Troopers. Seeing them together on screen wasn't just a casting choice; it was a cultural event that people are still talking about in 2026.
The Career Risk Nobody Saw Coming
Honestly, looking back, this movie should have tanked their careers. Neve Campbell was 24. Denise Richards was 27. Usually, when young actresses do "trashy" noir, the industry stops taking them seriously. But they both had a plan. Neve, in particular, was desperate to escape being the "nice girl." She actually fought for the role of Suzie Toller—the "wrong side of the tracks" character—because she didn't want to be typecast.
The director, John McNaughton, originally wanted her for the preppy Kelly Van Ryan role. Neve said no. She wanted to be the one with the piercings and the attitude.
That Infamous Pool Scene
You can't talk about Neve Campbell and Denise Richards without mentioning the pool scene. It’s basically the only thing some people remember about the 90s. But here’s the thing: it wasn't just mindless titillation. It was a massive plot point that flipped the entire movie on its head.
To get through it, the two of them famously split a pitcher of margaritas before the cameras rolled. They were nervous. Who wouldn't be? Neve had a strict no-nudity clause in her contract—largely because of her Party of Five obligations—while Denise decided to film her scenes without a body double. It created this weird, magnetic tension on screen that felt more authentic than the usual Hollywood gloss.
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Where Are They Now? (The 2026 Update)
Fast forward to today, January 2026, and their paths couldn't be more different, yet they both remain weirdly iconic.
Neve Campbell is currently the queen of the comeback. After sitting out Scream VI over a salary dispute that basically turned into a public crusade for fair pay, she’s officially back. Scream VII is set to hit theaters next month, February 27, 2026. Kevin Williamson, the original writer of the franchise, is directing it. It’s being billed as a "creative reboot" that puts Sidney Prescott front and center again. People are hyped. It feels like a victory for actresses who know their worth.
Denise Richards, on the other hand, has had a brutal year. She recently posted on Instagram calling 2025 "one of the most painful years" of her life. She’s been dealing with a messy, high-profile divorce from Aaron Phypers, involving restraining orders and some pretty heavy allegations.
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- She’s back on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills as a "friend of" for the current season.
- She’s still doing the Con circuit, meeting fans who mostly want to talk about Wild Things or Starship Troopers.
- Her reality show, Denise Richards & Her Wild Things, was a one-and-done limited series.
Why the Movie Still Holds Up
Most erotic thrillers from the 90s aged like milk. They’re cringey and slow. Wild Things is different because it knows it’s trash. It’s a "quintuple-cross" movie. Every time you think you know who the villain is, the movie basically laughs at you.
The class dynamics are actually pretty sharp, too. You have the wealthy Van Ryans looking down on everyone, while Suzie (Neve) is the outcast everyone underestimates. In the end, the "wild things" aren't just the alligators in the Everglades; it’s the people willing to kill for a $13 million insurance settlement.
The "Wild Things" Legacy
If you haven't watched it recently, the end credits are the best part. They literally show you all the scenes you "missed" that explain how the heist actually happened. It’s brilliant.
Neve and Denise haven't worked together on a major project since, though there were rumors of a "Backstabbers" project years ago that never quite materialized. They remain linked by this one bizarre, sweaty masterpiece that proved you could be a "sex symbol" and a "serious actress" at the exact same time, provided the script was twisted enough.
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What You Should Do Next
If you’re looking to revisit the work of Neve Campbell and Denise Richards, skip the direct-to-video Wild Things sequels (they're terrible). Instead:
- Watch the 4K Arrow Films release of the original Wild Things. It includes the unrated cut and some actually interesting interviews with the cast.
- Catch up on "The Lincoln Lawyer" on Netflix if you want to see Neve Campbell’s best recent dramatic work.
- Check out Denise’s episodes on the current season of RHOBH (new episodes started January 8, 2026) to see her navigate the fallout of her 2025 drama.
- Get your tickets for Scream VII early. With Neve back in the lead, the February 27 release is expected to be a massive box-office hit.