26 Years Later, the Greatest Comedy Duo of All Time Returns

I’ve been a horror fan since I was probably too young to enjoy the genre. An early memory: watching Stephen King’s Carrie at 11 years old in a friend’s basement after a video store owner recommended it to us. (That was more than a little disturbing at the time.) I watched a popular movie which parodied the genre when it was released in 2000 and saw the sequel in the theater in 2001 with another friend… while our moms sat in another row and were probably not thrilled with the jokes.

Other comedy parody movies followed this one, including Not Another Teen Movie, which was released in 2001. While several other entries in the franchise got a lot of attention, this new installment might be even more highly anticipated because the original comedy duo who worked on the first two are returning.

The Wayans Brothers Are Back With ‘Scary Movie 6’

Now, 26 years after Scary Movie was released in 2000, the Wayans Brothers’ sequel, Scary Movie 6, is in theaters. Besides their beloved horror-comedy franchise, Shawn and Marlon Wayans have a long resume of popular movies and TV shows. In the 1990s, they had memorable parts on In Living Color and starred in the sitcom The Wayans Bros., which they co-created along with David Steven Simon and Leslie Ray. They then co-wrote the 2004 comedy White Chicks with Keenen Ivory Wayans, Xavier Cook, and Michael Anthony Snowden.

However, after Keenen directed the first two movies in the franchise, from scripts co-written by Marlon and Shawn, the Wayans Brothers weren’t involved in Scary Movie 3, 4, or 5, which were released in 2003, 2006, and 2013. In an interview with Variety, Marlon stated that Bob and Harvey Weinstein took control of the franchise. Marlon said, “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.” So, now that the Wayans Brothers are back, we’re more than a little excited to see what this new installment looks like.

From the trailer, it’s clear that Scary Movie 6 parodies popular horror movies like Longlegs, Get Out, Weapons, and M3GAN. The trailer features the famous Sunken Place from Get Out that Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) finds himself in. It also has characters who look like Octavia Spencer’s title character in Ma and Maika Monroe’s Lee Harker from Longlegs.

In the early 2000s, I hadn’t seen The Blair Witch Project, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream (my all-time favorite slasher franchise), or any of the other horror films that the original movie parodied. Now, several decades later, and with a more well-rounded knowledge of the genre, it’s easier to appreciate the way that the Scary Movie franchise taps into our love of these culturally important films and has fun with them. But even back then, it was clear that these movies were not only funny, but they were also made by a creative team with something meaningful to say about the inherent silliness of the horror genre.

Horror comedy movies, and the Scary Movie franchise, arguably work so well because some of the best horror movies are campy or corny “guilty pleasures.” In these types of stories, final girls and other characters make silly choices, the villains are as goofy as they are terrifying, and there’s the thrilling feeling that anything can happen. It’s all part of the ride. Scary Movie lets us know that it’s okay to laugh at these stories and that they can be even more entertaining if we do.

‘Scary Movie 6’ Is Being Released During a Big Year for Horror

While Scary Movie 6 could arguably have come out at any time in the past few years and still gotten a lot of hype and interest, 2026 is a huge year for the horror genre. Sinners was nominated for 16 Oscars, and the current double feature of Backrooms and Obsession proves there are so many impressive original stories being told. Scary Movie 6 and Scream 7 also share a lot in common: besides both having 2026 release dates, both films brought back the franchise’s original creative teams.

It’s interesting to compare the humor in Scary Movie 6 to the jokes and storylines in Scary Movie. The first movie, in particular, has some very dirty scenes involving Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris), a parody of Neve Campbell’s Scream character, Sidney Prescott. Now, the sixth entry in the franchise is taking on other movies, too, but is still focused on Cindy. That can be seen as a compelling commentary on the enduring legacy of these franchises. But is Scary Movie 6 any good? Well, it currently has a 31% Rotten Tomatoes rating… but I’m still going to see it.

Release Date: June 5, 2026
Runtime: 95 Minutes
Director: Michael Tiddes
Writers: Craig Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Rick Alvarez, Shawn Wayans
Producers: Craig Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Rick Alvarez, Shawn Wayans