Anthony Anderson has shared that he was unaware of Marlon and Shawn Wayans’ absence from the Scary Movie franchise during his initial involvement with the series in 2003. The humorous insights were revealed during a recent interview as Anderson prepares to reprise his role in the upcoming Scary Movie, due for release in cinemas on June 5.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/anthony-anderson-marlon-wayans-shawn-wayans-060126-c705403fc1e344b2baf72a17f35aa340.jpg)
Reflecting on his early participation in Scary Movie 3 and its sequel, Scary Movie 4, Anderson expressed his initial excitement, believing he would be collaborating with his friends from the Wayans family. “I took the job for Scary Movie 3, thinking I’d be working with Marlon and Shawn and the entire Wayans family,” he remarked. “I had no idea that they had left the franchise, and it was now just a Miramax production.”
Marlon and Shawn Wayans first created the Scary Movie series with the original release in 2000, which paid homage to popular horror films from the nineties. Their older brother, Keenen Ivory Wayans, directed the first two films in the series. However, by the time Anderson joined the team, the brothers had parted ways due to creative differences with Miramax Studios, as reported by Entertainment Weekly in the early 2000s.
Marlon Wayans has spoken candidly about the fallout, stating that the studio had rejected their requests for higher pay, which ultimately led to the brothers losing control over the franchise. “The franchise was stripped from us,” he revealed in a recent interview. “We were just asking for our fair share.” Following this, the Wayans brothers continued to create their own content, while Miramax proceeded with Scary Movie 3 under a different production team.
Years later, after the franchise changed hands and saw various sequels, Marlon Wayans took steps to reclaim the Scary Movie name for the family. Anderson mentioned that Marlon contacted him shortly after securing this opportunity, saying, “Yo, Ant, you want to be down in Scary Movie 6?” Anderson eagerly agreed, marking a full-circle moment in his career.
The new film, which has been touted as a reboot of the series rather than a standard continuation, brings back veteran franchise actors Regina Hall and Anna Faris. Marlon Wayans confirmed the project in October 2024, signalling a renewed direction for the celebrated series. While some details about the plot remain under wraps, Anderson assured fans that they could expect to be thoroughly entertained, noting that “no holds are barred” in the production.
At the recent Peabody Awards held in Beverly Hills, Anderson elaborated further on the film’s development, indicating that discussions have already begun for a potential seventh entry in the franchise. “It went really well,” he commented on the film’s production, highlighting a collaborative spirit reminiscent of the early days of Scary Movie with the Wayans brothers.
As excitement builds ahead of the release of this latest chapter in the Scary Movie saga, fans can anticipate a film that promises both nostalgia and fresh comedic thrills. With a blend of returning talent and a reinvigorated vision, this new offering is poised to capture the attention of both longtime followers and newcomers to the franchise.
Scary Movie will hit theatres on June 5, inviting audiences once again into its unique blend of humour and horror. Anderson’s return marks not just a personal milestone but also a significant moment in the franchise’s history, rekindling the original spirit that made it a cultural phenomenon two decades ago.