Stephen King wrote the original Creepshow, and several of his stories were adapted for Creepshow 2, but two planned inclusions were ultimately cut. Directed by genre legend George Romero, the first Creepshow is arguably the best anthology horror film ever made, or if not, at least near the top of the class. All the film's disparate elements work, even the odd decision to cast King himself as a backwoods numbskull who makes the mistake of touching a meteor and turns into a plant creature.
Creepshow was a box office success, so naturally, Creepshow 2 was commissioned. This time, Romero handed over the director's chair to frequent cinematographer Michael Gornick, and wrote the script himself, based on stories and a treatment written by King. It's not surprising that Creepshow 2 wasn't as good without the two masters in their prior roles, but for years, the sequel had an unjust reputation as being outright terrible. Creepshow 2's failure to duplicate the original's financial returns didn't help matters.
In more recent times though, Creepshow 2 has developed a cult following, and a recognition that while it's not in the same league as the original, the sequel is still mostly enjoyable, with one standout story in "The Raft." However, the original plan for Creepshow 2 was to include five stories, the same number as Creepshow. Here's why that changed, and what the other two stories were about.
Why Creepshow 2 Deleted Two Planned Stephen King Stories
Unfortunately, the reason Creepshow 2 had to scrap two stories and go with three is the oldest Hollywood motive: money. It was originally thought that the sequel would receive a budget in line with the first film, which had cost $8 million. During pre-production though, production company Laurel Entertainment drastically cut Creepshow 2's budget to less than half of that. This budget shortfall is readily apparent when watching the sequel, as it looks noticeably cheaper overall.
The first missing story, "Pinfall," was intended to be the second segment, coming after "Old Chief Wood'nhead." It concerns two rival bowling teams - called the Regi-Men and the Bad News Boors - who find out that the recently deceased owner of their usual alley has set aside $5 million for the team with the highest score in their upcoming game. The Regi-Men decide to ensure claiming the prize by orchestrating an auto accident that kills the Boors, only for them to return as vengeful zombies. Gory, bowling-themed deaths ensue.
The second missing story, "Cat from Hell," based on a Stephen King short first published in 1977, concerns a hitman hired by a wealthy pharmaceutical magnate to murder an unusual target: a cat. The hitman scoffs at first, but it turns out the cat is indeed a worthy foe, and that he may well be outmatched. "Cat from Hell" was later realized onscreen as part of Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, using the script Romero wrote for Creepshow 2. Frequent Romero collaborator Tom Savini has said Tales from the Darkside: The Movie was essentially considered to be Creepshow 3 by its makers.