Although Scream 2 was directed by the original movie’s legendary director, Wes Craven, screenwriter Kevin Williamson confirmed that Robert Rodriguez almost made the first Scream sequel instead. The Scream franchise’s movies and TV shows have been directed and written by a diverse array of creators, with X director Ti West directing an episode of the Scream TV series while future Top Gun: Maverick scribe Ehren Kruger penned Scream 3’s screenplay.
However, no name is as closely ᴀssociated with the Scream franchise as Wes Craven. Despite this, when ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan asked whether Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson almost directed 1998’s The Faculty, Williamson revealed that, in reality, it was The Faculty’s director Robert Rodriguez who almost directed Scream’s first sequel. Per Williamson:
“No, no. That was Robert Rodriguez. Robert Rodriguez almost directed Scream 2. I don’t know if anyone knows that. I think Wes was hesitant about doing a sequel. He was worried that he had other opportunities, and I think he was worried about getting trapped into Scream. But then, of course, he didn’t want to leave it, so he came back. But we talked to Robert about it, and he was up to do it. And then he moved over and he did The Faculty, which I love. I think The Faculty was fun. It was sort of — I feel like it’s very ’90s. When you watch it, to me, it’s just like a time capsule of the ’90s right there.”
Robert Rodriguez’s Version of Scream 2 Would Likely Have Felt Very Different
The Director’s Earlier Movies Were Mostly Action-Packed Western Thrillers
Although Williamson will soon return to the series to direct 2026’s upcoming Scream 7, this interview with Crossan was in promotion for Netflix’s upcoming drama series The Waterfront. Arriving on the streaming service on June 19, The Waterfront stars Maria Bello and Melissa Benoist and is created by Williamson. Williamson’s revelation follows decades of speculation as it has long been rumored that Rodriguez almost directed Scream 2 before Craven opted to return to the series.
Rodriguez would have been a fascinating choice for the job since his career to date had mostly consisted of Western action thrillers, rather than horror movies. Admittedly, 1996’s vampire movie From Dusk Till Dawn featured plenty of blood and gore, but it was an action thriller with Western elements as much as a straightforward horror movie. Meanwhile, El Mariachi and Desperado were straight-up action movies, and Rodriguez’s mentor and collaborator Quentin Tarantino vocally disliked Scream.
Our Take On Robert Rodriguez Almost Directing Scream 2
Wes Craven’s Direction Was Truly Irreplaceable In The Scream Sequel
In a creative nod to this behind-the-scenes reshuffle, Scream 2’s opening features a playful reference to Rodriguez’s near-miss run-in with the franchise. The real-life director is credited with “directing” Stab 2, the fictional horror film within a film seen in Scream 2’s opening scene. Although this is a fun meta-gag, Craven was undoubtedly the correct choice for the sequel. While Scream is famously masterful in its execution, Scream 2’s direction might be even more impressive than its predecessor’s slick pacing.
Sequences like the killer stalking Gale and Dewey through a soundproof studio are among the most suspenseful and inventive in the franchise, and arguably in Craven’s entire screen career.
On the whole, Scream 2 is let down by a bizarre killer reveal. However, sequences like the killer stalking Gale and Dewey through a soundproof studio or Sidney escaping from a car wreck by climbing over the unconscious killer are among the most suspenseful and inventive in the franchise, and arguably in Craven’s entire screen career. While Scream 3 was a letdown, Scream 2’s peerless direction benefited from Craven’s touch and the Scream sequel wouldn’t have been the same in the hands of Rodriguez.
