The Best Scream Sequel Was Almost Directed By The Creator Of A Major Kids' Franchise

Robert Rodriguez's career as a director is a pretty weird one. In the 1990s, he was practically a cult film machine. After his first feature, "El Mariachi" (made for $7,000!), came out in 1992, he delivered hit after hit like a boss. "Desperado" and "From Dusk Till Dawn" basically established the definition of coolness for any Millennial growing up while also championing Latino actors who went on to become some of the most iconic and successful of their generation. Changing gears in 1998, Rodriguez then made one of the most beloved (if critically panned) cult horror films of the '90s with "The Faculty." Three years later, he switched gears once more, this time developing a kids film out of nowhere ("Spy Kids") that not only rocked the box office (making nearly $150 million worldwide) but also gave rise to a half-billion-dollar franchise in the years that followed.

Whatever you thought about Rodriguez as a filmmaker at that time, he was always able to surprise you with something you didn't see coming in a million years (like his masterpiece "Sin City"). Had things gone differently, though, he might've ended up joining one of the biggest horror properties of the '90s. In an interview with ScreenRant, Kevin Williamson — who wrote the original "Scream" and has since worked on several other entries in the franchise — confirmed that Rodriguez very nearly called the shots on "Scream 2" instead of Wes Craven. To quote him directly:

"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."

Although Rodriguez only did action-thrillers (with a touch of horror in "From Dusk Till Dawn") until he was offered "Scream 2," I believe he would've done just fine with the sequel. At the time, his track record was quite flawless, and once he made "The Faculty" with style and gusto, it became evident the man had a virtually unparalleled versatility. His ability to turn mysterious and passionate gunslingers into feared and charismatic figures easily transferred to the Ohio high school in that 1998 movie, which wasn't far off from the harrowing and eerie vibe "Scream 2" aimed for.

Of course, Craven was a master of his craft and knew horror and the "Scream" universe inside out — thus, the original trilogy couldn't have been in more capable hands. There's a continuity in all the sequels that needed Craven to feel as fluid and effective as possible, regardless of what direction the story ended up going in the screenplays. Could Rodriguez have done a better job? Probably not, though we'll never know for. But he sure as hell would've tried his hardest to honor and live up to Craven's brilliance. And Craven respected that integrity, so much that he ended up crediting Rodriguez as the filmmaker behind the Stab films in the original cut of "Scream 2."

In a 2021 interview with Scream Thrillogy, Patrick Lussier (the editor of the first three "Scream" films) explained, "It was Wes's nod to Robert for saying, 'If Wes wants to direct 'Scream 2,' I don't want to be involved. This was Wes's movie, he should be the one to do it.' So, because Robert was a mensch and Wes always really appreciated that, that was the main reason for that." That's something you wouldn't hear every day in Hollywood. In retrospect, this kind of reverence from a legend may have been worth more to Rodriguez than actually directing the first "Scream" sequel.