It would appear that the Wayans family has another hit on its hands, as Scary Movie opened to big numbers this past weekend. The sixth installment in the long-running horror parody franchise not only marks a new chapter in the franchise but also the Wayans’ return to the IP. Although the OG film was originally conceived by brothers Shawn and Marlon Wayans and directed by their brother, Keenen, the family soon lost creative control of the property. Now, Marlon is getting real about having their creation “stripped” away from them.
Shawn Wayans initially had the idea to do a film that spoofed slasher movies and, in time, he recruited Marlon and some of their writing partners to draft up a script. That eventually resulted in 2000’s Scary Movie, which scared up $278 million worldwide at the box office against a reported $19 million production budget. The film’s success spawned Scary Movie 2, which was released in 2001 and grossed over $141 million globally against a $45 million budget.
Both of those hit parody films were distributed by Dimension Films, which fell under the umbrella of the Bob and Harvey Weinstein-led Miramax. During a recent interview with Variety, Marlon recalled that he and his brothers requested raises for a threequel in the growing franchise but were only offered deals for lower sums. The brothers rejected the offers and, as Marlon explained, they were eventually thrown for a loop when Miramax announced a third film in the franchise was being made:
We didn’t even know. We got an announcement on New Year’s Eve that they were doing ‘Scary Movie 3.’ The franchise was stripped from us. And we were just asking for our fair share.
Marlon Wayans claimed the Weinsteins stole the idea for that third movie from him and his brothers and, on top of that, the White Chicks star asserts that he and his brothers are still owed compensation. When asked if the Weinsteins went through with their own movie plans in a sneaky way, Wayans had this to say:
They absolutely did. Absolutely. There are auditors that will handle those things. We could’ve sued, and we probably would’ve won. What they did is between them and God. I don’t applaud that type of behavior, but I can’t hold hate and hurt in my heart if I want to evolve.
Scary Movie 3 hit theaters in 2003, grossing $220 million worldwide on a reported $45-48 million budget, while 2006’s Scary Movie 4 earned $178.7 million globally against a $40 million budget. 2013’s Scary Movie would only gross $78 million worldwide on a $20 million budget and, notably, that film doesn’t include beloved characters like Anna Faris’ Cindy Campbell and Regina Hall’s Brenda Meeks.
While later installments in the franchise were successful, the Wayans’ creative touches were arguably missed by fans as were the characters played by Marlon and Shawn, respectively, Shorty Meeks and Ray Wilkins. Luckily, the family was opening to return for this latest installment after being contacted by Miramax’s CEO, as Marlon explained:
Me and my family don’t hold grudges. So when Jon hit me up to do ‘Scary Movie,’ I was like, I can’t do this without my brothers. So I got Shawn and Keenen on board. This is a return back to the franchise we all created, so forget all the bad years! This isn’t ‘Scary Movie 6’; this is a reboot.
The Wayans’ decision to return for this “reboot” seems to be paying off, as the 2026 movie schedule entry has already earned $106 million on a $30 million budget. Early on, Marlon hyped up the number of recent horror movies that would be skewered in the film, mentioning Sinners, Longlegs and more as possible contenders. The eventual trailer for Scary Movie confirmed those parodies as well as gags based on Weapons, The Substance and M3GAN.
It’s unfortunate that the Wayans had to watch as the franchise they birthed moved on without them. However, I’d argue that that hardship is what makes their return to the series – along with co-writer Keenen Ivory Wayans – that much sweeter. On that note, check out Scary Movie in theaters now, and stream the previous installments using a Paramount+ subscription.
