Screenwriter Kevin Williamson has revealed details behind Randy’s death in Scream 2. Released in 1997, Scream 2 is the sequel to the hugely popular slasher film, Scream. Helmed by returning director Wes Craven, the sequel takes place two years after the events of the first installment, once again following the character of Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell). Now a college student, Sidney and her peers must evade a copycat killer who has taken up the guise of Ghostface. Like its predecessor, Scream 2 frequently satirizes the slasher genre while also highlighting the common clichés of sequels.In addition to Campbell, a number of Scream cast members returned to reprise their roles in part two, including David Arquette as Detective Dewey Riley, Courteney Cox as reporter Gale Weathers, and Liev Schreiber as exonerated criminal Cotton Weary. Jamie Kennedy returned as the doomed Randy Meeks, another Woodsboro survivor. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laurie Metcalf, Jada Pinkett, Timothy Olyphant, and Jerry O’Connell also joined for the sequel.In an interview with ComicBook.com, Kevin Williamson revealed the reasoning behind killing Randy in Scream 2. A decidedly bloody franchise, Ghostface’s victims in Scream are often minor characters or those who, once they break the “rules” of horror films, face an inevitable death. The decision to kill Randy, a major character, elicits a stronger reaction in viewers, making them more invested in the continuing Scream story. That is, it “keeps the franchise moving,” says Williamson. The writer goes on, “It makes it personal for people.” Check out Williamson’s quote below:“Well, that has happened, where people are like, ‘Well, are they really dead? Do they have to be dead?’ I think after the sequel, after Scream 2, I remember people took [Randy’s death] very hard because, at the time, that was a beloved character, which, to me, is what keeps the franchise moving, is that it’s real. If you kill someone you really love, it makes it personal for people. I remember people going, ‘He’s not really dead, is he? He’s not really dead. He’s survived, didn’t he?’”

The new insight regarding Randy’s death arrives ahead of the release of the fifth installment of the Scream franchise, for which Williamson will serve as executive producer. James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick will take the screenwriting reins for Scream, the simply titled forthcoming film. Part five will be the first entry in the Scream franchise since Wes Craven’s death in 2015, with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (V/H/S/) taking over directing duties.