10 Movie Characters You Won't Believe Were Nearly Killed Off

3. Dewey - Scream

When David Arquette and Courtney Cox split up in 2013 it wasn't upsetting because we'd become emotionally invested in the celebrity couple, but because we think Detective Dewey Riley needs a break. Clearly test audiences for Scream in 1996 felt the same way; they liked Dewey so much that at their behest his fate was reversed. Originally murdered by killers Ghostface, a last minute shot was inserted showing a very much alive being stretchered away from the scene. If you had to pick one character who'd make it through all four films in the Scream series it certainly wouldn't have been Dewey. The opening minutes of Wes Craven's subversive horror may have gruesomely murdered the advertised protagonist (Drew Barrymore was the film's biggest star name), but even so the friendly cop seemed likely for the axe (or knife). As it turns out his initial survival was one of the best decisions the series could have made. Although things slipped drastically after the second instalment, Arquette's character remained a slightly unconventional hero. Although given how by the third film things were getting stuck in formula we almost wish there'd been a surprise death to really shake it up; in Scre4m (sic and sick) not only Dewey, but also fellow franchise stalwarts Sidney and Gale survive.