Horror Facts Vol. 19: Scream Again

With the new Scream sequel in production as of last week, this month’s edition of Horror Facts will focus on the first sequel to the horror classic; 1997’s Scream 2.

Make sure to check out Horror Facts Vol.9: Scream here.

/ Original working titles for Scream 2 included Scream Again, Scream Louder, Scream: The Sequel.

/ Many of the young cast didn’t need a lot of convincing to be in this sequel. In fact, Sarah Michelle Gellar agreed to play Cici Cooper before reading the script, due to the success of the original.

/ Scream 2 was greenlit while Scream was still in theatres. Kevin Williamson started writing the script while the original was being filmed realizing there was more to the story. The film was released less than a year after the first.

/ I get killed in <Scream 2>? I get killed? Originally, Gale and Dewey were to be killed in the final act. Gale at the hands of Cotton and Dewey from his stab wounds. The film also had an alternate ending where another Ghostface watched from the campus’ bell tower, leaving things open for a Scream 3 (As if there wasn’t going to be a Scream 3).

/ The first 40 pages of the script were leaked on the internet causing Kevin Williamson to do some major (and quick) re-writes. The last 10 pages were withheld from the entire cast preventing anyone from knowing the identity of the killer(s) or how the film would end.

/ More Freddy Krueger homage! You’ll see his striped sweater hanging in Sidney and Hallie’s dorm room right after the opening kill scene. Looking forward to the easter eggs in Scream 5!

/ Chief Hartley is played by Lewis Arquette, David Arquette’s father in real-life and Courteney Cox’s father-in-law at the time.

/ In the movie trailer for Scream 2, during the scene where Sidney talks to Ghostface on the phone for the first time, the killer responds to her with “It’s time, girlfriend!”. In the film, the killer actually says “I want you. It’s showtime.” Similarly to this, Gale’s line to the killer “Go ahead if you have the guts!” which appeared in the Scream 4 trailer, was completely cut from the 4th film.

/ After filming wrapped, Jada Pinkett Smith who played Maureen Evans in the opening scene, got Wes Craven an expensive set of steak knives as a Christmas Gift.

/ Scream 2 is the only Scream film to NOT include a relative of Sidney in it.

/ The Omega Beta Zeta sorority house Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character is thrown from is the same house as Miss Trunchbulls in the cult film, Matilda (1996). I’m sure Miss Trunchbull would have thrown Cici off the roof too.

/ Scream 2 was originally set to open at the same time as Tomorrow Never Dies and Titanic in 1997. Both films moved their release dates so they wouldn’t compete with the iconic slasher sequel.

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