In a nod to Scream and Scream 2 arriving within a single year of each other, Stab and Stab 2 were also positioned as rapid-fire entries in the fictional Stab franchise. Although some timelines list Stab 2 as a 1998 release, other references place it slightly later, making the exact in-universe release date somewhat inconsistent. Either way, the sequel followed quickly after the success of the original Stab and continued Sunrise Studios’ effort to turn Gale Weathers’ books into a long-running horror franchise.

Also known as “Stab 2: College Terror,” the sequel was based on the events of Scream 2 and was once again inspired by one of Gale Weathers’ books, “College Terror: The Woodsboro Horror Continues...” Gale may be a bestselling reporter, but her title game remains delightfully direct.

Original Stab filmmaker Robert Rodriguez is generally treated as returning to direct the sequel, while Will Kennison is credited as the writer. This places Rodriguez’s fictional Stab work around the same period as his real-world horror film The Faculty, meaning his Scream-universe counterpart was keeping admirably busy.

Stab 2 was marketed as the terrifying follow-up to everyone’s favorite horror movie, bringing audiences back into the bloody orbit of Sidney Prescott. The story follows Sidney, once again played by Tori Spelling, as she attends college and tries to move beyond the horrors of Woodsboro. But, because this is Stab, history repeats itself. Sidney and her friends are pulled into another nightmare, forced to survive a new Ghostface killing spree filled with twists, turns, and the same tragedy-turned-entertainment spectacle that made the first film a hit.

Tori Spelling reprised her role as Sidney Prescott, with David Schwimmer returning as Dewey Riley and Jennifer Jolie returning as Gale Weathers. Christopher Speed also returned as Randy Meeks, while Craig Bierko continued as Cotton Weary. Later reference material connects the film to fictionalized versions of several Scream 2 characters, including Hallie McDaniel, Derek Feldman, Mickey Altieri, and Nancy Loomis.

According to early Scream 3 script material, Christine Hamilton may also have appeared in Stab 2 as murdered Windsor College student Cici Cooper, the role played by Sarah Michelle Gellar in Scream 2. However, that detail is not stated in the finished version of Scream 3, so it remains one of the franchise’s script-level deep cuts rather than a fully confirmed on-screen fact.

After Stab 2 was made, Christine Hamilton began a real-life relationship with Cotton Weary, the innocent man Sidney had originally believed was responsible for murdering her mother before Billy Loomis and Stu Macher’s involvement was revealed. Not Craig Bierko, the actor playing Cotton in the Stab films. The real Cotton Weary. Keep it straight, because the franchise absolutely makes you work for it.

Tragically, both Cotton and Christine were murdered by the new Ghostface in the opening scene of Scream 3. Their deaths tied the Stab franchise, the actors connected to it, and the real survivors of the Woodsboro murders into one increasingly deadly Hollywood web.

Within the story of Stab 2, Sidney must once again survive a Ghostface copycat while Gale Weathers, played by Jennifer Jolie, and Dewey Riley, played by David Schwimmer, try to uncover the killer before it is too late. Promotional material around the film presented Rodriguez and Kennison as delivering another fast, bloody, self-aware horror ride, continuing the franchise’s reputation for turning real tragedy into slick entertainment.

It is worth noting that Stab 2 is not shown in the Scream films the same way the original Stab is shown during Scream 2. Instead, the sequel exists mostly through posters, studio references, character details, promotional material, script-level trivia, and the wider Sunrise Studios mythology introduced in Scream 3. A Stab 2 poster can be seen in John Milton’s office, placing the sequel firmly inside Sunrise Studios’ larger Stab legacy.

Like much of the Stab mythology, Stab 2 exists in fragments: cast details, studio lore, promotional hype, and the bloody shadow it leaves behind. It may not be shown directly in full, but its place in the franchise is clear. Stab 2 continued the cycle of adapting Gale Weathers’ books, exploiting Sidney Prescott’s trauma, and turning every new Ghostface massacre into the next chapter of a movie franchise that refused to stay dead.