Scream 2
1997 · United States · 120 min
- Director
- Wes Craven
- Screenplay
- Kevin Williamson
- Producer
- Wes Craven, Cathy Konrad, Marianne Maddalena, Andrew Rona
- Music
- Marco Beltrami
- Cinematography
- Peter Deming
- Editing
- Patrick Lussier, Lisa Mozden
- Production company
- Craven-Maddalena Films
Cast
What it is about
Some time after the events in Woodsboro, Sidney Prescott starts college at the fictional Windsor College in Ohio, hoping for a quieter life among new friends. Her roommate Hallie and her boyfriend Derek are part of that circle, and soon Dewey Riley, now a police deputy, and reporter Gale Weathers are back in her orbit, the latter eager to cover a fresh case. The trigger is the premiere of Stab, a film that dramatizes the Woodsboro killings, which students attend while wearing Ghostface masks handed out as publicity. When a copycat begins repeating those murders, Sidney must face a threat she believed was behind her.
How it was made
The sequel grew out of the sale of the Scream script itself. Kevin Williamson attached a five-page outline for a possible follow-up to his original screenplay, hoping to offer buyers not just a film but a franchise. After a successful test screening of the first film and its commercial performance, Dimension chose to move ahead while Scream was still in theaters. The budget rose to roughly 24 million dollars, compared with the 15 million of the original. The schedule was tight, and the script was rewritten often; some pages were finished on the day they were shot. Wes Craven returned as director, the principal cast came back, and Marco Beltrami composed the score. The production also suffered from plot details leaking onto the internet, which at one point revealed the identities of the killers.
Reception and legacy
The film was released on December 12, 1997, by Dimension Films and earned about 172 million dollars at the box office. Critics responded mostly positively, and its satirical approach to the clichés of sequels became one of its most discussed features. Beltrami's score was praised for developing the musical themes of the characters introduced in the first film, although some critics singled out pieces by Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer. A Zimmer cue from Broken Arrow controversially replaced Beltrami's music in several scenes. The soundtrack reached number 50 on the Billboard 200. The series continued with Scream 3, released in February 2000.
Stills
Trailer
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Trivia
A script sold with a future
Kevin Williamson included a five-page outline for a sequel when he auctioned his original Scream script. The aim was to attract buyers with the prospect of a franchise.
Borrowed music in the film
A Hans Zimmer cue from Broken Arrow replaced Marco Beltrami's music in some scenes, a decision that drew controversy.
Plot leaks
Plot details leaked onto the internet during production, at one point revealing the identities of the killers, which added to the pressure of an already rushed rewrite schedule.
More films by Wes Craven
Scream
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Scream 4
Scream 3
Red Eye
The Last House on the LeftOriginal Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (es) and Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.