Scream’s Best Sequel Hid One of the Worst Scenes in The Entire 30-Year Franchise

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Many fans consider *Scream 2* to be faster-paced than the first *Scream* movie. However, part of what makes the original *Scream* (1996) so appealing is its unique structure. Instead of a traditional three-act format, the movie really unfolds in two parts. The first half focuses on introducing us to the main characters – Sidney, Dewey, Gale, Tatum, Billy, Stu, and Randy – and letting us get to know their personalities and how they respond to the initial murders of Casey and Steven. This section also builds suspense by making us suspect one of them. The second half takes place at Stu’s party, where our suspicions are ultimately confirmed, but with an unexpected reveal.

While *Scream 2* has a lot more going on, it moves at a quicker pace. The movie starts with the first two murders, introduces new characters, and brings back survivors from the original. The middle section focuses on Gale and Dewey’s investigation. Finally, the last part reveals who’s behind the Ghostface mask. Despite the added plot, the sequel doesn’t feel cluttered, except for one scene that clearly went through several revisions, leading to a finale that also feels reworked.

What Happened to Scream 2?

Following the huge success of the original *Scream*, a sequel was quickly made – *Scream 2* came out less than a year later, which is somewhat unexpected. Given the first film’s critical acclaim and impressive box office numbers – it made $173 million on a $15 million budget – a follow-up was almost guaranteed. *Scream 2* proved to be just as successful, earning roughly the same amount of money despite a slightly higher budget of $24 million.

What’s remarkable about how quickly *Scream 2* was made is that the screenwriter, Kevin Williamson, had already completed over forty pages of the script when the sequel was officially approved in March 1997 (both *Scream* films were released in December). This early draft was more than just an outline – it included most of the key plot points and identified the four killers: Sidney’s boyfriend Derek, her roommate Hallie, Cotton Weary, and Nancy Loomis. Unfortunately, the script was leaked online during production, revealing all the plot details and the identities of the killers.

Despite the leak, production continued. Williamson used the opportunity to make as many changes as possible to the script, particularly to the identities of the killers and the characters of Randy and Joel, Gale’s new cameraman. However, Williamson later revealed that the leaked version wasn’t a genuine draft at all, but a deliberately misleading one designed to confuse anyone who obtained it.

What Stayed the Same and What Differed?

I was really surprised learning how many different endings Williamson wrote – three completely separate ones! And honestly, the final version of the show is so different from the original scripts. It’s fascinating how much changed – Derek’s character ended up resembling Timothy Olyphant’s Mickey Altieri, and they even had Hallie believed to be dead before revealing her as a total badass. It’s a really different story than what was initially planned.

Despite the changes, some key events in the third act stayed consistent. Sid’s confrontation with the killers still happened on the stage where she was rehearsing, Debbie Salt was still revealed to be Mrs. Loomis before killing Hallie and Derek—using almost the same lines as before—and the whole sequence began with Sid being escorted off campus by police.

Even in this early version of the film, the basic structure of the problematic scene would still be present. However, a confusing but important conversation is missing: the exchange between Sid, Hallie (who isn’t in this draft of the scene), and the two officers, Richards and Andrews. Hallie asks where they’re being taken, and Richards jokingly threatens, “We’d tell ya, but we’d have to kill ya,” while sharing a sinister look with Andrews. Andrews then echoes with a chilling “Don’t ask, don’t tell” just before Ghostface attacks.

This scene completely pulls you out of the story. It’s jarring to see the two police officers, who are supposed to be protecting a young woman who’s been through a lot, make unsettling jokes about murder, especially since they know the campus killings are real. Given that she nearly became a victim herself, joking about murder is incredibly inappropriate. Plus, their dialogue feels weak and doesn’t match the quality of the rest of the script.

The Hallie Factor

This scene also marks Hallie’s death, and it requires a significant suspension of disbelief. Sid and Hallie are stuck in the back of a police car with Ghostface (Mickey). They manage to climb over him, but then Sid goes back to the car to try and pull off his mask.

It makes sense she’d want to know who attacked her, but the situation feels strange. She and Hallie are far from the car, and it’s typical in horror movies for someone to escape danger only to immediately run back towards it. However, Sid isn’t the type to make such a reckless decision.

What’s even more frustrating is how predictable the scene becomes. After Hallie tells Sid to leave and suggests they run, she conveniently stands right next to a large dumpster – a perfect hiding spot for the killer. When Sid checks the car, Ghostface is, unsurprisingly, gone, and immediately attacks Hallie. This is a disappointing turn for a series known for its shocking twists and surprises, as it’s completely foreseeable.

That idea alone requires a big jump in logic. However, the bigger problem is figuring out how Mickey managed to leave the car without Hallie, who was looking right at it, or Sid, who should have seen him out of the corner of her eye. While horror movies often bend the rules of logic, this goes too far. Several parts of this scene simply don’t make sense.

It seems Hallie was originally intended as a minor character, and many think she and Derek weren’t meant to be the main villains. This scene feels like an attempt to achieve two things: bringing Sid back to campus for a final confrontation, and eliminating a character who was initially created for a different role. There probably could have been a more seamless way to accomplish both of those goals.

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2025-10-12 19:14