# Scary Movie (film series)
**Scary Movie** is an American series of horror-comedy parody films that spoof slasher and horror-movie conventions, begun in 2000 by the Wayans brothers and continued through a sixth installment released in 2026. The first two films were directed by [Keenen Ivory Wayans](https://www.edgepedia.org/keenen-ivory-wayans) and co-written by Marlon and Shawn Wayans, who also starred; the series was originally distributed by [Dimension Films](https://www.edgepedia.org/dimension-films), the genre division of Miramax run by Bob and [Harvey Weinstein](https://www.edgepedia.org/harvey-weinstein).[1](https://au.variety.com/2026/film/features/marlon-wayans-scary-movie-dave-chappelle-transgender-harvey-weinstein-36951/) Across six films released between 2000 and 2026, the franchise has grossed close to $1 billion worldwide despite consistently negative reviews from critics.[2](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/weekend-box-office-scary-movie-defeats-he-man-with-55-million-opening/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Films | Six theatrical releases: Scary Movie (2000), Scary Movie 2 (2001), Scary Movie 3 (2003), Scary Movie 4 (2006), Scary Movie V (2013), and Scary Movie (2026)[3](https://www.paramountplus.com/sneak-peak/how-to-watch-scary-movie-franchise/) |
| Creators | Conceived by Shawn and Marlon Wayans; the first two films directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans[4](https://guides.justwatch.com/uk/why-the-wayans-left-scary-movie) |
| Original gross | $278 million worldwide on a reported $19 million budget, making it the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2000 in the United States[5](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/marlon-wayans-recalls-how-execs-stripped-scary-movie-franchise-from-his-family) • [6](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/beloved-scary-movie-scream-queens-regina-hall-and-anna-faris-will-return-for-reboot/) |
| Franchise total | Crossed the $1 billion worldwide mark with the 2026 installment's opening[2](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/weekend-box-office-scary-movie-defeats-he-man-with-55-million-opening/) |
| 2026 revival | Directed by Michael Tiddes; opened with $55 million domestic and $105.5 million global, the franchise's best debut[7](https://apnews.com/article/e50df318b505136cd8996aa0e02b2303) |
| Critical reception | No installment has earned a Fresh Tomatometer score; the 2026 film debuted at 23% on the Tomatometer against 63% from verified audiences[2](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/weekend-box-office-scary-movie-defeats-he-man-with-55-million-opening/) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/scary_movie_2026) |
| Streaming home | All six films stream on Paramount+; the 2026 film arrived there on September 3, 2026, in theatrical and extended-cut versions[3](https://www.paramountplus.com/sneak-peak/how-to-watch-scary-movie-franchise/) |
## Origins and the title
The name "Scary Movie" existed before the spoof did. It was the working title of *Scream*, the 1996 [Wes Craven](https://www.edgepedia.org/wes-craven) slasher that put Dimension Films on the box-office map. As the film neared completion, Bob and Harvey Weinstein changed its title to *Scream*, inspired by a [Michael Jackson](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-jackson) song out that year, and the original title was recycled in 2000 for the Wayans brothers' horror-movie spoof.[9](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2004/02/weinstein-miramax-200402)
The first film, released on July 7, 2000, follows a group of high school students, including Cindy ([Anna Faris](https://www.edgepedia.org/anna-faris)), Brenda ([Regina Hall](https://www.edgepedia.org/regina-hall)), Buffy ([Shannon Elizabeth](https://www.edgepedia.org/shannon-elizabeth)), Ray (Shawn Wayans), and Bobby (Jon Abrahams), who accidentally kill someone and cover it up, borrowing its plot from *I Know What You Did Last Summer* while parodying *Scream* and other late-1990s horror hits.[10](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/scary-movie-turns-20-marlon-150007553.html) It grossed $278 million worldwide against a reported $19 million production budget.[5](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/marlon-wayans-recalls-how-execs-stripped-scary-movie-franchise-from-his-family) A sequel followed quickly: *Scary Movie 2* (2001) spoofs films such as *The Haunting* and *The Exorcist*.[3](https://www.paramountplus.com/sneak-peak/how-to-watch-scary-movie-franchise/)
## The Wayans departure and the Zucker era
**Creative control was lost early.** After the first two films, the [Wayans family](https://www.edgepedia.org/wayans-family) parted ways with the franchise amid disputes with executive producer Bob Weinstein of Dimension Films; [Marlon Wayans](https://www.edgepedia.org/marlon-wayans) has said the brothers believed the Weinsteins gave them a "crappy" deal on the first film and then "stole" their idea.[11](https://au.variety.com/2025/film/features/miramax-after-weinstein-scary-movie-sydney-sweeney-rebuild-21871/) • [12](https://au.variety.com/2026/film/news/scary-movie-paramount-plus-release-date-streaming-39531/) Regina Hall and Anna Faris remained on board for several later installments.[4](https://guides.justwatch.com/uk/why-the-wayans-left-scary-movie)
The series changed hands and tone. [David Zucker](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-zucker), one of the originators of *Airplane!* and *The Naked Gun*, directed *Scary Movie 3* (2003) and *Scary Movie 4* (2006), which opened to $48.1 million and $40.2 million respectively and grossed a combined $200 million domestically and nearly $400 million worldwide.[2](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/weekend-box-office-scary-movie-defeats-he-man-with-55-million-opening/) By the studio-reported figures, *Scary Movie 3* earned $220 million worldwide on a reported $45–48 million budget, and *Scary Movie 4* earned $178.7 million on a $40 million budget.[5](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/marlon-wayans-recalls-how-execs-stripped-scary-movie-franchise-from-his-family)
The fifth film marked the low point. *Scary Movie V* (2013) was the only installment without Regina Hall or Anna Faris, introduced an all-new cast, and was the lowest-grossing film in the series at $78 million worldwide on a $20 million budget.[6](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/beloved-scary-movie-scream-queens-regina-hall-and-anna-faris-will-return-for-reboot/) • [3](https://www.paramountplus.com/sneak-peak/how-to-watch-scary-movie-franchise/)
## The 2026 revival
In 2026 the franchise returned with the Wayans family involved for the first time since 2001. The sixth film, officially titled *Scary Movie* but commonly called *Scary Movie 6* to avoid confusion with the original, was directed by Michael Tiddes and written by Marlon, Shawn, Keenen Ivory, and Craig Wayans with Rick Alvarez.[13](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/horror-movies/first-reviews-for-horror-movie-spoof-scary-movie-6-disagree-on-the-jokes-but-say-the-surprise-cameos-are-inspired/) • [14](https://www.paramountplus.com/sneak-peak/where-to-watch-scary-movie-2026/) Marlon Wayans described it as a "rebootquel," a term the film itself jokes about, and it reunites the "Core Four" of Cindy Campbell, Brenda Meeks, Shorty (Marlon Wayans), and [Ray Wilkins](https://www.edgepedia.org/ray-wilkins) (Shawn Wayans) twenty-six years after the original, with the same masked killer resurfacing.[12](https://au.variety.com/2026/film/news/scary-movie-paramount-plus-release-date-streaming-39531/) • [15](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=113139-scary-movie-launches-exclusively-on-paramount-starting-september-3) New cast members include [Kenan Thompson](https://www.edgepedia.org/kenan-thompson), Heidi Gardner, and [Damon Wayans Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/damon-wayans-jr)[16](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/2185877-scary-movie-2026-paramount-plus-extended-cut)
The film targets modern horror and franchise practices, with the Paramount press materials promising slashes through "reboots, remakes, requels, prequels, sequels, spin-offs, elevated horror, origin stories" and every non-final "final chapter."[15](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=113139-scary-movie-launches-exclusively-on-paramount-starting-september-3) Its marketing leaned on parody posters of recent horror hits such as *Sinners*, *Get Out*, *Weapons*, and *M3GAN*, designed as shareable social-media content rather than conventional advertising.[17](https://www.cinemarketing.co/p/how-scary-movie-s-parody-poster-rollout-turned-borrowed-ip-into-a-marketing-engine) The studio also hired local comedy writers and script adapters in international markets to rework jokes with local slang and cultural references.[18](https://au.variety.com/2026/film/news/scary-movie-international-box-office-success-37696/)
## Box office and reception
The 2026 film opened to $55 million domestically from 3,490 locations, the highest opening for the series before inflation adjustment, and a franchise-best $105.5 million global launch that pushed the series past $1 billion worldwide.[7](https://apnews.com/article/e50df318b505136cd8996aa0e02b2303) • [2](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/weekend-box-office-scary-movie-defeats-he-man-with-55-million-opening/) It topped the weekend box office over Amazon MGM's *Masters of the Universe* and outdid its primary satirical target, the *Scream* franchise.[7](https://apnews.com/article/e50df318b505136cd8996aa0e02b2303) The opening audience skewed young: over 70% was aged 18–34, with 62% under 30.[19](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/scary-movie-2026-masters-of-the-universe-gen-z-audience-box-office/) By late June 2026 the film had earned about $103.5 million domestically and $215.3 million worldwide, and Paramount later reported a worldwide gross above $230 million.[20](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/scary-movie-quietly-earning-major-money-after-critic-hate) • [15](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=113139-scary-movie-launches-exclusively-on-paramount-starting-september-3)
Critics and audiences have disagreed throughout the series' history. No *Scary Movie* film has received a Fresh Tomatometer score; the 2000 original sits at 52%, the best in the franchise, followed by *Scary Movie 3* at 35% and *Scary Movie 4* at 34%.[21](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/the-scary-movie-franchise-ranked/) The 2026 film debuted around 20–25% with critics while audiences scored it far higher; its final Rotten Tomatoes page shows 23% from 140 critics against 63% from more than 5,000 verified ratings, with the audience consensus calling it "stupid, good fun that's appropriately inappropriate."[13](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/horror-movies/first-reviews-for-horror-movie-spoof-scary-movie-6-disagree-on-the-jokes-but-say-the-surprise-cameos-are-inspired/) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/scary_movie_2026) Reviewers criticized the jokes as tired and the satire as toothless, while praising the surprise celebrity cameos; Empire gave it two stars, noting the parody posters were wittier than the film itself.[13](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/horror-movies/first-reviews-for-horror-movie-spoof-scary-movie-6-disagree-on-the-jokes-but-say-the-surprise-cameos-are-inspired/)
The film began streaming exclusively on [Paramount+](https://www.edgepedia.org/paramount) on September 3, 2026, in both its theatrical cut (1 hour 35 minutes) and an extended cut (1 hour 44 minutes).[15](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=113139-scary-movie-launches-exclusively-on-paramount-starting-september-3) • [3](https://www.paramountplus.com/sneak-peak/how-to-watch-scary-movie-franchise/)
## Place in horror parody
Film scholarship treats *Scary Movie* as a defining example of the "spoof," a mode in which the language of comedy overtakes that of horror, distinct from horror-comedies such as *Shaun of the Dead* that preserve horror's structures while joking within them.[22](https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/149648/1/2020PaccosiPhd.pdf) The series also sits in a lineage of nested parody: *Scary Movie* spoofed *Scream* (1996), itself a pastiche of horror films, making *Scary Movie 2* a parody of a spoof of a pastiche.[23](https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/1115/2/02whole.pdf) In the early 2000s, the series played a part in bringing the parody genre back to life, mocking the era's most prominent horror films and pop-culture events.[24](https://www.directv.com/insider/scary-movie-films-ranked/)
## References
1. [How Marlon Wayans Survived Hell, Hollywood and Harvey Weinstein, Variety](https://au.variety.com/2026/film/features/marlon-wayans-scary-movie-dave-chappelle-transgender-harvey-weinstein-36951/)
2. [Weekend Box Office: Scary Movie Defeats He-Man with $55 Million Opening, Rotten Tomatoes](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/weekend-box-office-scary-movie-defeats-he-man-with-55-million-opening/)
3. [How To Watch The Scary Movie Franchise, Paramount+ Sneak Peak](https://www.paramountplus.com/sneak-peak/how-to-watch-scary-movie-franchise/)
4. [Why Did the Wayans Brothers Leave Scary Movie?, JustWatch](https://guides.justwatch.com/uk/why-the-wayans-left-scary-movie)
5. [Marlon Wayans Gets Real About How Execs 'Stripped' The Scary Movie Franchise From His Family, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/marlon-wayans-recalls-how-execs-stripped-scary-movie-franchise-from-his-family)
6. [Beloved 'Scary Movie' Scream Queens Will Return for Reboot, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/beloved-scary-movie-scream-queens-regina-hall-and-anna-faris-will-return-for-reboot/)
7. ['Scary Movie' tops box office, slaying 'Masters of the Universe' and adding to low-budget streak, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/e50df318b505136cd8996aa0e02b2303)
8. [Scary Movie (2026), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/scary_movie_2026)
9. [The Weinstein Way, Vanity Fair](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2004/02/weinstein-miramax-200402)
10. ['Scary Movie' Turns 20: Marlon Wayans and Anna Faris Tell All About the R-Rated Spoof, Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/scary-movie-turns-20-marlon-150007553.html)
11. [Can Miramax Bounce Back?, Variety](https://au.variety.com/2025/film/features/miramax-after-weinstein-scary-movie-sydney-sweeney-rebuild-21871/)
12. ['Scary Movie' Sets Paramount+ Release Date, Variety](https://au.variety.com/2026/film/news/scary-movie-paramount-plus-release-date-streaming-39531/)
13. [First reviews for horror movie spoof Scary Movie 6, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/horror-movies/first-reviews-for-horror-movie-spoof-scary-movie-6-disagree-on-the-jokes-but-say-the-surprise-cameos-are-inspired/)
14. [Where To Watch Scary Movie 2026, Paramount+ Sneak Peak](https://www.paramountplus.com/sneak-peak/where-to-watch-scary-movie-2026/)
15. [SCARY MOVIE LAUNCHES EXCLUSIVELY ON PARAMOUNT+ STARTING SEPTEMBER 3, Paramount Press Express](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=113139-scary-movie-launches-exclusively-on-paramount-starting-september-3)
16. [Kenan Thompson & Anna Faris' $230 Million Comedy Movie Is Streaming on Paramount+ Today, ComingSoon.net](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/2185877-scary-movie-2026-paramount-plus-extended-cut)
17. [How Scary Movie's parody poster rollout turned borrowed IP into a marketing engine, Cinemarketing](https://www.cinemarketing.co/p/how-scary-movie-s-parody-poster-rollout-turned-borrowed-ip-into-a-marketing-engine)
18. [How 'Scary Movie' Conquered the International Box Office, Variety](https://au.variety.com/2026/film/news/scary-movie-international-box-office-success-37696/)
19. [Gen Z Turns Out for Scary Movie, Ignores Masters of the Universe, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/scary-movie-2026-masters-of-the-universe-gen-z-audience-box-office/)
20. [After Dealing With Critic Hate, Scary Movie Is Quietly Racking Up A Whole Lot Of Money, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/scary-movie-quietly-earning-major-money-after-critic-hate)
21. [The Scary Movie Franchise Ranked, Rotten Tomatoes](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/the-scary-movie-franchise-ranked/)
22. [Paccosi, parody and the horror genre, PhD thesis, Lancaster University](https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/149648/1/2020PaccosiPhd.pdf)
23. [Introduction, James Cook University research thesis on parody](https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/1115/2/02whole.pdf)
24. ['Scary Movie' Franchise Watch in Order, DIRECTV Insider](https://www.directv.com/insider/scary-movie-films-ranked/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Fictional worlds and series reference apparatus › Fictional universes, characters, and attribute reference › Fictional universe concepts, canon, and continuity*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license