Williamson provided a five-page outline for a sequel to "Scream" when auctioning his original script, hoping to entice bidders with the potential of buying a franchise. Following a successful test screening of "Scream" and the film's financial and critical success, Dimension moved forward with the sequel while "Scream" was still in theaters, with the principal cast all returning to star, Craven to direct and Beltrami to provide music.