You can imagine easier jobs than being a screenwriter for a slasher movie series. After all, you have to let a lot of characters die. Among them also favorites of the viewers to increase the emotional impact. It must be especially painful when you realize afterwards how much potential a character had, how much she could have enriched the series. You may not even be aware when writing how much you influence the next films with your decision.
Kevin Williamson must have felt that when he wanted to write the screenplay for Scream 2. Just a year after the first installment, the genre rocked like a satirical yet serious horror movie. The screenplays for the first two “Scream” parts were among the earliest works in his body of work. He later took part in the screenplay for “Scream 4” and was active in generating ideas for the Ghostface TV series.
After Scream set new standards, Williamson and the entire team were tasked with making a sequel that would take it to the next level. The result is a movie called “Scream 2” that also receives a lot of love. This is probably due to the fact that the satirical tone was successfully continued. There was a lot given out against franchise sequels here. With the introduction of the Stab movies as a plot element, “Scream 2” had more potential for self-referential comedy. But the murders were even more theatrical than those of the predecessor. However, fans should have remembered one in particular and still like it today a punch in the stomach to feel
A crowd favorite died
This refers to Randy Meeks, who, as a horror nerd, was responsible for many of the digs dished out in the first two Scream parts. Jamie Kennedy played the character with compelling charm. His character’s death has a symbolic effect: he knew all the rules by which horror films work. His passing made it clear that absolutely no one in Woodsboro can be safe from Ghostface. He was also a crowd favorite whose early demise hardly anyone expected.
In an interview with Williamson admitted that he still regrets the decision to let Randy die: “I love Randy. I would have let him live longer if I had known the series was going to continue. I would have loved it if he had become a main character.” It would have been interesting to see Randy’s progress through other parts. Consider, for example, the fifth part from 2022, in which many old acquaintances celebrated a reunion. What would have become of Randy more than 20 years after the events of “Scream 2”? At least his horror knowledge would have increased, we can be sure!
In the interview, Williamson recalls his motivation at the time for letting Randy die: “At the time I thought it was the punch in the gut the public needs to get angry. Angry at the killer!” It worked: “Scream 2” didn’t feel like a cheap rerun. It’s a movie with serious implications for the future of the franchise. So maybe Williamson made the right decision. And maybe he suffered a little more from Randy’s death than we viewers.