(Sidney’s Roommate): Hallie was also revealed as a killer. In this version, she and Derek were secretly lovers who planned the murders to achieve fame, similar to the characters in Natural Born Killers . Mrs. Loomis
The "original script" for Scream 2 —an early draft that leaked online during production, prompting massive rewrites—is a fascinating artifact. It is faster, bloodier, and significantly more controversial than the final film. Reading it today offers a glimpse into a bolder, arguably more tragic version of the slasher sequel.
In the leaked draft, the killers were entirely different from the Mickey Altieri and Mrs. Loomis duo we saw on screen. The original script featured four killers working in various capacities:
Played by Jerry O'Connell in the film, the original script positioned Derek as a primary antagonist. Instead of dying a tragic hero in the theater loft, he was a cold, calculating killer.
If you want to dive deeper into the history of this slasher franchise, I can: scream 2 original script
In the theatrical version, Sidney defeats Mickey and Mrs. Loomis with the help of Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber), walking away as the triumphant survivor.
The characters in Scream 2 are diverse and complex, with each one having their own backstory and motivations. Sidney Prescott, the protagonist, is a strong and determined character who is trying to overcome her past traumas. She is joined by a new group of characters, including:
In a cruel twist of life imitating art, the script itself fell victim to the reality of filmmaking. Because the script leaked onto the internet before shooting wrapped, Kevin Williamson and the Weinsteins ordered emergency rewrites to protect the ending.
The most famous leaked detail is the opening scene. In the original script, the first victim was not a random student named Maureen (Jada Pinkett Smith). It was , played by... Drew Barrymore . That’s right. Williamson wanted to pull a masterstroke of meta-casting. Since Barrymore was famously killed in the opening of Scream (despite being the biggest star on the poster), the original Scream 2 script would have brought her back as a different character, a friend of Sidney’s, only to kill her again in the opening scene. The gag would have been on the audience who thought she was safe the second time. Ultimately, Barrymore declined due to scheduling, and the role was rewritten for Sarah Michelle Gellar (who plays Cici in the final film, though in a different scene). (Sidney’s Roommate): Hallie was also revealed as a killer
In the leaked draft, the identity of the Ghostface killers was fundamentally different from the theatrical version: Derek Feldman
Imagine the impact of this reveal. Sidney escapes the car crash (a scene retained in the final film) only to realize that the person pulling her from the wreckage—the person she trusted most—was the one stabbing her in the back. Literally.
Kevin Williamson has confirmed that, contrary to popular legend, the final killers—Mrs. Loomis and Mickey—were , even before the leaks. This suggests that the leaked script featuring Derek and Hallie was likely a deliberately seeded dummy ending that was never meant to be the final truth.
Yes, the sensitive, singing boyfriend played by Jerry O’Connell was originally the villain. In this draft, Derek and (Sidney’s roommate) are revealed as the killers. The motivation is more intimate and psychologically damaging for Sidney. Derek reveals he is actually Billy Loomis’s cousin (or half-brother in some variations of the lore), seeking revenge for Billy's death. It turns the "boyfriend is the killer" trope on its head by making the audience genuinely like Derek before pulling the rug out. Loomis The "original script" for Scream 2 —an
She was still involved in the original script, operating as the mastermind pulling the strings from the background.
The twist was intended to be more devastating than the original film, with Sidney’s absolute support system turning against her. Why the Script Was Changed
Sidney’s boyfriend (played by Jerry O'Connell) was actually a killer, not an innocent victim.