In interviews promoting the Blu-Ray and DVD release of Scream 4, Wes Craven shared fascinating behind-the-scenes trivia about the anthology’s creation and the franchise’s future. These revelations offer a glimpse into alternate versions of the films—scenarios that could have profoundly changed the Scream series as we know it.

Kevin Williamson’s Original Plot for Scream 3

Craven revealed that Kevin Williamson’s initial draft for Scream 3 was vastly different from the final film.

“The original script that Kevin had involved a high school student, the daughter of the principal, who was actually leading a band of kids that were killing students. And we got the first draft, and just moments after that we got the news of Columbine and just dropped it like a hot potato,” Craven explained.

This chilling concept, involving a cult of teenage killers, would have significantly altered the tone and direction of the third installment.

The Death of the Main Three in Scream 4

When asked about Scream 4’s lower-than-expected box office performance, Craven reflected on the possibility of taking a darker approach:

“Maybe we needed to be more brutal and kill off the central characters. I suspect the next time out, one or more of those characters is going to have to die…”

The idea of killing Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers, or Dewey Riley was considered but ultimately set aside. However, Craven hinted that this possibility remains for Scream 5.

A Remake Within Scream 4

One of the original concepts for Scream 4 involved mirroring key scenes from the first film, essentially creating a “remake” within the sequel.

“The idea of following the template of the first film – or, if you will, within the realities of the films themselves, to repeat the historic events that had happened – was part of the script,” Craven said.

This concept included a scene where Dewey investigates a crime that directly references the iconic deaths of Drew Barrymore’s character and her boyfriend in the original Scream.

However, Craven explained why the team ultimately moved away from this idea:

“We didn’t want to feel like we were remaking the original film, so we had to back away from that a little bit, just so the film could have its own scenes and not just be a revamped version of the original.”

A Glimpse Into an Alternate Scream Universe

These behind-the-scenes insights give fans a lot to think about. What would Scream 3 have been like with its cult of teenage killers? How would Scream 4 have landed if it had been more brutal or leaned into its remake elements?

Knowing what might have been creates a fascinating alternate world of Scream.

For more trivia and insights into the making of Scream and Scream 2, check out sources like IGN, JoBlo, and Bloody-Disgusting.