Comedy and horror have a much longer history than you think. It didn’t suddenly spring out of nowhere in the 2000’s with The Cabin in the Woods or the virality of teens and college students watching The Human Centipede for cackle and yack at. Nor did it originate in the often regarded peak era of horror in the 80’s with plenty of B-movie shlock and bloody comic classics like Killer Klowns from Outer Space or The Toxic Avenger, to more well regarded horror comedy favorites like The Lost Boys, Evil Dead II, or An American Werewolf in London. Early examples in the silent film era show experimentation with comedy in horror, such as The Ghost Breaker (1914) and One Exciting Night (1922). But the melding of genres first had a successful landing among audiences with the release of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). As Universal would go on to find success with adding humor to its many, many films in its monster catalog, it would continue to shape the approach to horror as whole among generations of filmmakers and moviegoers.
However, it wasn’t until Wes Craven’s Scream in the 90’s hit theaters that we got our first big parody or meta horror film. Having contributed to the genre with one of horror’s most iconic slasher villains, Freddy Krueger, A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) was a massive success and spawned many sequels alongside its contemporaries Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th and Michael Myers in Halloween. Freddy himself stood out among the other slashers for being more comical and expressive than the silent, masked figures more typical of the genre. But with these killers dominating the box office well into a new decade, the formula was getting all the more tired and familiar. Craven previously tried a bit of reinvention with his character with Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994), a meta horror film not canon with the previous films in the franchise, where the first film was actually just a movie, and the cast are dually playing themselves as well as their respective horror counterparts, as Heather Langenkamp (who played Nancy in the first film) starts having the Hollywood horror story come to life. Robert Englund in particular has an interesting turn in this as a different Freddy Krueger, with a long coat and a glove more flesh & bone than leather & metal. Audiences and critics enjoyed the meta turn for the franchise, but it ended up being the lowest earning entry in the Nightmare films. But it proved that audiences were willing to support something inventive and new without losing its fun, core slasher element.
Enter Ghostface. Wes Craven took the best elements of New Nightmare and put them in more familiar territory for a slasher that audiences would more connect to: horny high school kids, a local cop, doubtful parents, and a big party, all through the lens of a commentary on the genre, with the killer(s) being influenced by the scary movies they watched. The comedy shone through, with Matthew Lillard’s expressive performance and lines like “Please don’t kill me, Mr. Ghostface. I wanna be in the sequel!” from the cast, and audiences loved the seamless blend of comedy and horror, where neither detracted from the other and only elevated each other. A new winning formula was found.
It is only fitting then, that the first Scary Movie would rely heavily on Scream for its plot, characters, and parody of the genre as a whole (“Scary Movie” was actually the working title of Scream when filming). As we’ve said, comedy and parody have been no stranger to horror. Young Frankenstein (1974) is a clear and excellent spoof of the classic tale from the Universal monster and Mary Shelley’s original novel, and Repossessed (1990) again directly parodies The Exorcist (1973), even with Linda Blair from the original film appearing in this parody to great comedic effect.
But Scary Movie was really the first of its kind to parody horror on a mass scale, while also remaining in the niche of teen horror, as the audience demographic most widely appealed to those in their teens and early twenties. Other notable 90’s teen horror hits like I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and the Scream sequels, along with more classic horror entries such as The Shining (1980), Friday the 13th (1980), Psycho (1960), and even other 90’s hits outside the genre like The Matrix (1999) and The Usual Suspects (1995), all are proudly parodied and poked fun at in some fashion here. One could argue the film puts so much of its gags on the assumption that audiences have seen all these other movies it’s referencing, that it risks alienating any viewers who missed out, leaving many of its jokes to not hit home nearly as hard.
But the entire gist of Scary Movie is that. Its foundation is in its rolodex of references to parody. In many ways, it’s a movie lover’s perfect movie, if not at least a raucous guilty pleasure. And its success would propel it into its own franchise throughout the aughts, with the latest one in the franchise now set to release in 2026. Let’s go through each entry, with all the references they pull from, and see where the franchise has been, and where it looks to head next.
Scary Movie (2000)
The mindchild of the Wayans brothers, Scary Movie was a lowbrow love letter to late ‘90s slashers. With a budget of just $19 million and a box office gross soaring past $278 million worldwide, it was raunchy, crude, and packed with movie references for audiences to catch.
Originally written under a rotating door of credited and uncredited writers, the film went through a chaotic development process, with multiple rewrites that blended horror homages with the Wayans brothers’ signature in-your-face comedy. Casting was a mix of breakout talent and familiar faces: Anna Faris made her film debut as sweet but clueless Cindy Campbell, while Regina Hall gave us the eternally quotable and scene-stealing Brenda. Carmen Electra’s cameo as Drew Decker in the Scream-inspired opening, running from Ghostface while getting her breast implant stabbed, let audiences know immediately what kind of movie they were in for.
At its core, it spoofs Scream almost scene for scene, from the opening kill to the masked killer with the flailing limbs. The plot also lifts heavily from I Know What You Did Last Summer, using the same premise of a group of horny teenagers who accidentally kill someone and spend the rest of the movie being stalked for it. But Scary Movie doesn’t stop there—it stacks in nods to The Sixth Sense (“I see dead people”) andThe Blair Witch Project, complete with snot-dripping close-ups. The final reveal of Doofy being the criminal mastermind works as both using the twist of The Usual Suspects and turning it on its head to fit into the ridiculousness of the movie.
Scary Movie remains the highest-grossing entry in the entire franchise. It rewarded avid movie-going audiences, particularly ones from the last decade, but anyone outside that Venn diagram might be left outside the circles. The humor leans hard on the lowest common denominator, that being fart jokes, sex gags, and racial stereotypes which haven’t exactly aged with grace. But the turn of the century was just the perfect time for something of this caliber. It was unfiltered, juvenile, and totally fearless in its mission to roast everything in sight, from the genre’s tropes to its stars, and its target audience is exactly the type to hoot and howl at the collective crudeness.
Scary Movie 2 (2001)
The sequel arrived in July of the following year with a haunted‑house twist and horror tropes from beyond the typical slasher lineup. Wayans returned to direct Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Shawn and Marlon Wayans. Enter a kooky crew of freshmen: the ever-perked Shorty, sexually confused Ray, plus newcomers like Tim Curry, Chris Elliott, David Cross, and Tori Spelling.
Unsurprisingly, it didn’t stick to slashers—this time it spoofed The Haunting (1999), The Exorcist, Poltergeist, House on Haunted Hill (both ’59 & ’99), Amityville Horror, The Changeling, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and more. The plot drops a shady professor (Curry) and his wheelchair-bound assistant into a haunted mansion, roping in our college kids for a ghost-busting “research project”.
Completed in under nine months, pushing tone and cohesion to the edge, they even toyed with an NC‑17 cut for sexual content before trimming the picture to an R rating. A bizarre behind‑the‑scenes cameo nearly featured Marlon Brando as an exorcist, earning a $2 million payday. The footage was eventually cut, and James Woods stepped in instead.
Like the original, the cast leaned into broad slapstick: Anna Faris and Regina Hall reprised their comedic roles of Cindy and Brenda, while Marlon and Shawn aimed for over‑the‑top antics with Shorty and Ray. Though the ensemble is solid, critics griped that the script felt patchy and lacking in creative spark. Netting over $141 million worldwide on a modest budget, audiences still got some enjoyment from this immediate sequel, even if the storyline felt like a grab‑bag. It’s more adult‑rated raunch than horror movie parody: fun for fans who don’t mind a looser plot, but signals the Wayans’ creative success in the first film might not be so easy to replicate.
Scary Movie 3 (2003)
A couple more years gave time for something not as hackneyed as the previous film, along with a changing of the guard, as David Zucker handled directing duties, along with Craig Mazin and Pat Proft handling the script. Blending horror, sci‑fi, and even mystery, it stars Anna Faris and Regina Hall returning as Cindy and Brenda, joined by a fresh ensemble: Charlie Sheen and Simon Rex as goofy crop‑circle ranchers, Leslie Nielsen as a befuddled President, along with Anthony Anderson, Kevin Hart, Queen Latifah, George Carlin, and Denise Richards.
The films in the franchise would continue to widen their reach to blockbuster cinema and not just horror, making the jokes not as niche and ensuring more audiences have likely seen more of the films being parodied. This time, Cindy investigates cursed videotapes (The Ring), alien crop circles (Signs), and even attends a rap battle (8 Mile). The larger cast of celebrities in supporting and cameo roles helped make the franchise feel like an event of the years big film to poke fun at, almost like a big budget SNL show with one big sketch and 20 different hosts all in the mix.
On the financial front, it grossed about $220.7 million worldwide—second only to the original in franchise earnings—despite its PG‑13 rating and lacking the Wayans’ edgier touch. It may lack the crass and grit of the Wayans era, but it delivers a fast‑paced, cartoon‑ish blend of sights and sounds fans of Zucker’s earlier parody classics will appreciate.
Scary Movie 4 (2006)
Scary Movie franchise fully leaned into its blockbuster parody identity with its fourth entry. Anna Faris and Regina Hall return as Cindy and Brenda, though this marks their swan song in the series, with a cast stuffed full of familiar cameos including Shaquille O’Neal, Dr. Phil, Charlie Sheen, Bill Pullman, Molly Shannon, Kevin Hart, and Leslie Nielsen.
Cindy has moved on from cursed videotapes and crop circles to caring for an elderly woman in a house haunted by a creepy child. But soon she’s dodging aliens, vengeful spirits, and President-for-a-day hijinks. The film kicks off with a Saw spoof featuring Shaq and Dr. Phil chained up, complete with missed free throws as their ticket to survival, and spirals into parodies of The Grudge, War of the Worlds, The Village, Shaun of the Dead, Dark Water, and even Million Dollar Baby and Brokeback Mountain.
Some parody beats hit harder than others. Audiences enjoyed the War of the Worlds-esque dad redemption arc, the ghostly kid of Grudge-style terror, and Brenda and Cindy’s continued dynamic. But the expected amounts of gross gags and toilet humor were still plentiful in this entry as well. Still, the movie pulled in about $178 million worldwide, making it the third-highest grossing of the bunch . But the critics’ consensus was clear: by this point, the formula felt tired, stitched together more by star power and pop culture insertion than by fresh storytelling and actual clever nudges and winks.
Scary Movie 5 (2013)
After a seven-year wait, the franchise lurched back onto screens with Scary Movie 5, directed by Malcolm D. Lee. Anna Faris and Regina Hall didn’t return, marking a definitive break from the Wayans-era spirit. Instead, Ashley Tisdale and Simon Rex starred as suburban couple Jody and Dan Sanders, thrown head first into paranormal problems courtesy of some weird cabin in the woods legacy.
A better part of a decade passed, and with it plenty of horror and blockbuster movies to parody this go around: Paranormal Activity, Black Swan, Mama, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Evil Dead, Insidious, Sinister, The Cabin in the Woods, Inception, The Help. It was almost took much, frankly. There’s even meta-comedy about pool‑attacking robots from cabin sins and Christian Grey dreamers, and a stripper ballet twist straight out of Black Swan meets Paranormal Activity . Zucker later admitted the Mama gag was a last-minute addition once the original ghost movie’s success became clear.
All those movie references overflowing out the screen weren’t enough, however, as Scary Movie 5 was the flop of the series, with a $20 million budget and a worldwide gross of around $78 million. Critics lamented a lack of structure, stale gags, and note that even Ashley Tisdale’s roll-eyes couldn’t save it . Director Lee himself said bluntly: “It was just a bad movie… not worth your time”.
On the upside, this installment leaned hard into spectacle—cameos by Snoop Dogg, Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, Mac Miller, Molly Shannon, Terry Crews, Mike Tyson, and a post-credits shark gag that earned some amused groans. For audiences loyal to the franchise formula, or fans of their stoner-friendly celebrities, some scenes delivered laughs. But for many, it felt like a parody of parody, a shaky ghost of the brand’s early, novel charm.
Scary Movie 6 (2026)
The horror‑spoof franchise is officially coming back to its roots, with the Wayans brothers making a triumphant return. Marlon, Shawn, and Keenen Ivory Wiseways of the original films have reunited behind the scenes, as Marlon confirms they’ll once again deliver that signature irreverent, R‑rated “Wayans flavor” fans loved in the first two entries. Set to hit theaters on June 12, 2026, the film will be penned and produced by the trio alongside Rick Alvarez, with Neal H. Moritz and Miramax/Paramount financing and distribution.
Early buzz suggests the original core cast is circling a reunion: Regina Hall is reportedly confirmed, and Anna Faris is heavily hinted at, though official casting is still underway. Social media chatter also teases parodies of recent fright‑fests like Terrifier, Art the Clown, Five Nights at Freddy’s, Smile, and M3GAN.
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