Kevin Williamson says killing off Randy in Scream 2 was essential

Coming just one year after 1996’s teen slasher Scream–which broke the rules by acknowledging the rules–Scream 2 is now 25. In his script, Kevin Williamson acknowledged the rules of sequels themselves, with more elaborate deaths and a higher body count in Scream 2. One that still sticks with and divides fans is that of film geek Randy (Jamie Kennedy).

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kevin Williamson discussed how the decision was made to kill off Randy Meeks. “I presented it this way. I said, ‘Listen, Dewey died in the first [Scream] script, and Wes [Craven] said, ‘We’re going to film this one little piece of him getting in the ambulance, just in case.’ And it was the best decision we ever made.’’ And so the very second that Dewey lived in Scream one, it was R.I.P. for Randy in Scream 2, because we had to kill a legacy. We had to kill someone that was involved with Scream one, and that was done halfway through so that we could up the stakes. I also wanted to upset the audience and make them mad at the killer.” Of course, Kevin Williamson means killers, plural, as Scream 2, like the original, had two Ghostfaces.

Kevin Williamson does still wonder what would have become of Randy had he not been killed stabbed to death in a news van. “Had I known now that these movies were going to live forever and that they were going to go on…I do think that there was a lot more life left in the character. So I’d love to have seen him as an adult. I’d love to see what he became. I’d love to see how he turned his love of horror films into a career. I’d love to see what his trauma was like after surviving, but unfortunately, I killed him.” (For what it’s worth, it was Billy Loomis’ mom who sliced and diced Randy.)

Kevin Williamson also discussed the numerous script leaks of Scream 2, his departure from the franchise and more.

The sixth installment of the Scream franchise is due out on March 10th, 2023. Star Jenna Ortega recently likened some aspects of Scream VI to the first sequel, saying it parts are “kind of reminiscent of, like, in Scream 2 there was a chase between Gale and Ghostface through the lab. I feel like we have a lot of stuff like that.”

What are your thoughts on Scream 2 and its legacy as a sequel? Was it too early to kill off Randy? Let us know your thoughts below!