Williamson and Craven were forced to make a devastating choice: scrap everything and rewrite the final act from scratch, often writing pages moments before they were shot on location in Georgia. The result was the Scream 2 we know. But what was lost? Kevin Williamson’s original script, often referred to as the "Draft from May 1997," was significantly different in tone, kills, and motive. While the released film focuses on revenge for Billy Loomis, the original script was a vicious satire of trial-of-the-century media circuses and the fetishization of serial killers.
The script largely took place on the campus of "Windsor College" (renamed from "Windsor" to "Windsor" in the final, but the vibe shifted). However, the student body and background characters were more aggressively cynical. There were protests, "I Heart Billy Loomis" t-shirts, and a palpable sense that fame had trumped morality. scream 2 original script
Within days, the entire ending was public knowledge. Fans knew who the killers were. They knew who lived. They knew who died. Williamson and Craven were forced to make a
In the original script, the killers were and Hallie , Sidney’s college best friend. Kevin Williamson’s original script, often referred to as
In the released film, the killers are (motive: revenge for her son Billy) and Mickey (motive: wanting to get caught for a trial). It works brilliantly.