Wayans brothers revive 'scary movie' franchise, aim to 'cancel cancel culture'

Twenty-six years after Cindy Campbell's last harrowing escape, the Core Four is back in the crosshairs—and Hollywood’s self-parodying streak is getting a serious injection of absurdity. The Wayans brothers, Marlon and Shawn, are returning to the director’s chairs for a new Scary Movie, slated for release June 5, 2026, promising a savage takedown of everything from M3GAN to Terrifier, and apparently, the culture wars themselves.

A legacy of laughs (and horror spoofing)

For those unfamiliar, the Wayans brothers originally helmed the first two installments of the Scary Movie franchise, establishing its signature blend of slapstick, meta-commentary, and gleefully lowbrow humor. Their departure left a void, with subsequent films struggling to recapture the initial spark. Now, with the original creative duo back at the helm, expectations are high—and Paramount Pictures is doing little to temper the hype with a newly released poster showcasing the film’s targets.

The plot, as it stands, sees Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris) and her crew, now known as the Core Four, confronting a new masked menace. But it’s not just the latest horror tropes they’re skewering. According to the official synopsis, Scary Movie will aim its satirical sights at “reboots, remakes, requels, precuelas, sequels, spin-offs, elevated horror, origin stories, everything with the word legacy in the title, and every chapter final that isn't actually final.” The Wayans, it seems, are not just riffing on horror Movies; they're taking aim at Hollywood's reliance on legacy sequels and the performative wokeness surrounding them.

Joining Faris, Marlon Wayans, and Shawn Wayans are Regina Hall and returning favorites, alongside a fresh cast. But judging from the synopsis, the real stars of the show are the tropes themselves—ripe for merciless dismantling. The brothers' statement, declaring they're