Its plot focuses on a series of murders on the campus of a private New England university, all of which appear to be modeled after popular urban legends.

In addition to its younger cast, the film features supporting performances from Robert Englund, Loretta Devine, John Neville, and Brad Dourif.

In February 2020, a reboot of the film was announced to be in development, but it was later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the studio losing interest.

News of Michelle's murder spreads the following day, but Dean Adams and campus police officer Reese Wilson seem determined to bury the story.

Damon Brooks, a jokester fraternity member, attempts to console the notably-disturbed Natalie, who rejects his sexual advances while in his parked car at a bluff.

Distraught, she tells Brenda that she and Michelle, her high school friend, had received probation for causing a fatal car accident after driving with their headlights turned off and pursuing the first driver who flashed them.

Paul meanwhile investigates local urban legends, and discovers that the Stanley Hall massacre actually occurred, with William Wexler, now a professor of American folklore, its sole survivor.

Dean Adams is murdered in the campus parking garage, and Reese later finds Wexler's office disorganized and covered in blood.

They stop at a gas station, and while Paul is inside, Natalie and Brenda find Wexler's mutilated body in the trunk.

[19] Mike Medavoy, an executive at Phoenix, was impressed by the concept, but Horta recalled that his screenplay "needed to be better," and re-writes began to take place in the late-fall of 1997.

[21] Mathews recalled that he was cast based on a "dark" quality he possessed that was at odds with his conventional appeal, and because he was already an established actor, known for his role on the teen drama series My So-Called Life.

[21] Alicia Witt was cast as the female lead, Natalie, as the producers felt she was "against type" and also a strong actress, whose previous credits included David Lynch's Dune (1984) and the series Twin Peaks (1990).

[21] Robert Englund, already well known for his portrayal of Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street film series, appears as Wexler, a psychology professor.

[21] Devine identified with the role based on her past experience as a dormitory director at Brandeis University, which provided her insight into "some of the goofy and dumb stuff they do.

[21] In the role of Michelle Mancini, the ill-fated student who is murdered in the opening scene, actress Natasha Gregson Wagner was cast.

[23] As the sequence takes place entirely at night, the crew built a scaffolding out of pipe that was then draped in black tarping, giving the appearance of it being nighttime while inside the building.

[23] The interiors during this sequence were lit with candlelight, and cinematographer James Chressanthis drew inspiration from El Norte (1984), aspiring for a "ritual"-like appearance.

[22] The death sequences in the film, however, required significant technical planning, with Sid Armour providing makeup effects.

[24] Reid performed her own stunts during her character's chase sequence, including the fall over the staircase landing, during which she was secured by a harness.

[28] The release contained an audio commentary with director Blanks, writer Horta, and actor Michael Rosenbaum, as well as a making-of-featurette.

"[33] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 35 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.

[b] Anita Gates of The New York Times called the film a "teen-age moviegoer's dream", adding: "It has familiar young television stars, familiar older stars with cult followings (Robert Englund as the aforementioned professor, John Neville as the dean), an edgy sense of humor, a tricky plot and characters too genre-savvy for their own good.

"[36] Bob Heisler of the Los Angeles Times called it an unoriginal "low-voltage drive-in movie, made strictly by-the-book.

"[39] Kim Newman of the British publication Sight & Sound wrote: "Urban Legend manages somehow to be rather endearing, from Natasha Gregson Wagner's opening bit (what must now, after Scream, be called 'the Drew Barrymore position') to the hokey shaggy-dog punchline.