Malcolm Lee Hired To Direct Scary Movie 5

Just yesterday we released an article about films you shouldn't be holding your breath for and, if we had crafted it a bit sooner, Scary Movie 5 definitely could have been in consideration. Two years after the film was initially announced, Scream, the primary target for the first few Scary Movies, received the green light for its fourth installment and The Weinstein Company saw fit to remind us that yes, Scary Movie 5 was still being made. It's been well over a year since the friendly reminder and even though there have been whispers about the project, nothing definitive has really happened until this week when the long gestating fifth film found its director.

According to EW, Scary Movie 5 will be directed by Malcolm Lee. Lee is probably best known for his worst movies, including the blaxploitation spoof Undercover Brother, which somehow makes him the perfect choice to take over the more than fledgling series. Even though it's pretty clear that another Scary Movie isn't needed, it's also probably true that a fifth would be inexpensive to make and likely bring in a nice profit. And even though David Zucker has handed the directing reigns over to Lee, the writer and director of the third and fourth films will stay on to co-write 5, presumably a rewrite of the initial script from Stephen Leff, John Aboud and Michael Colton.

The same time as that trio of writers came aboard, offers also went out to Anthony Anderson, Regina Hall and Kevin Hart but no one has officially signed on (although Anderson, coincidentally, appeared in Scre4m). I can't see Kevin Hart coming aboard since he's not only the biggest stand-up comedian on the planet (save maybe Louis C.K.) but he's also about to co-star in a buddy cop comedy with Seth Rogen. Regina Hall will probably come back and the series' star Anna Faris has also said she'd likely return so at least Scary Movie 5 seems to have the key piece of the puzzle in place.

Would you watch Scary Movie 5? It's still a set up from Friedberg and Seltzer.