Scary Movie Reboot Official: Anna Faris, Regina Hall Team With Wayans Brothers for 2026 Release

Hold onto your popcorn, folks, because the comedy gods have answered our prayers with an announcement of a Scary Movie reboot. After years of wondering if we’d ever see another proper reboot, the franchise that defined early 2000s humor is making a comeback that’s got us more excited than a teenager at their first R-rated movie.

Scary Movie Reboot Matters More Than You Think

Let’s be honest here – we’ve all been secretly hoping for this day. The original Scary Movie franchise is a hilarious cultural phenomenon that still has us quoting lines after all these years. “I see dead people… but they’re just ugly” still makes me chuckle, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.

The Scary Movie reboot announcement that Anna Faris and Regina Hall are returning as Cindy and Brenda, respectively, has sent shockwaves through the comedy world. These two actresses didn’t just play characters; they became the heart and soul of what made these movies work. Faris’s wide-eyed innocence paired with Hall’s scene-stealing attitude created comedic gold that modern parodies desperately try to recapture.

Wayans Brothers in the Director’s Chair

The Wayans brothers are writing the script for the Scary Movie reboot! After about two decades, Marlon, Shawn, and Keenen Wayans are reuniting with this treasured franchise to bring it to modern audiences! That’s not just significant; it’s borderline miraculous in Hollywood terms.

Keenen Ivory Wayans, director of the first two films, is returning as producer. Michael Tiddas will be the director’s chair, bringing in the Wayans’ comedic flair with his previous experiences with the brothers in projects such as Naked and A Haunted House. The creative team understands what made the original films work, which gives me hope that this won’t be another soulless cash grab.

The timing couldn’t be better. Horror movies have absolutely saturated the market in recent years, and as the original Deadline report perfectly put it, “The genre is screaming for a pie to be thrown in its face.” We’ve had serious scares, elevated horror, and psychological thrillers coming out of our ears. Sometimes you just need someone to make fun of it all.

What Made the Original Scary Movie Franchise So Special

The original Scary Movie hit theaters in 2000 and became one of the highest-grossing R-rated horror movies of all time. That $42.5 million opening weekend wasn’t just impressive; it set the record for R-rated horror debuts. But the real magic wasn’t in the box office numbers – it was in how the film captured the zeitgeist.

The movie arrived at a perfect moment when horror films like Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and The Blair Witch Project had established clear tropes that were ripe for parody. The Wayans brothers had their finger on the pulse of what audiences found scary and, more importantly, what they found silly about being scared. Hopefully, they can keep the same-but-modern pace in the Scary Movie reboot.

Regina Hall’s Brenda became an instant icon, primarily because she did what every horror movie audience member wanted to do: she called out the stupid decisions characters make in these films. Her death scenes became legendary not just for their shock value, but for how they subverted audience expectations while delivering genuine laughs.

The Rough Ordeal of the Scary Movie Reboot

Getting to this point hasn’t been easy. The franchise has been trapped in development hell for years, partly due to the toxic relationship between the Wayans family and former Miramax head Harvey Weinstein. Marlon Wayans has been vocal about how Weinstein essentially “stole” the franchise from his family after the success of the first film.

“It was so toxic,” Marlon told Variety earlier this year. “The way the Weinsteins handled the business of ‘Scary Movie,’ I could write a ‘Scary Movie‘ about it. We probably should have sued.” The situation was so bad that when Miramax attempted to develop a reboot without the Wayans family, Marlon flat-out refused to even shoot a cameo. “The only way that I’m a part of it is if my family and I are delivering it, because this is our baby,” he declared.

Jonathan Glickman Makes Things Right

Here comes Jonathan Glickman, who took over as head of Miramax a year ago. Unlike his predecessors, Glickman understood that a Scary Movie reboot without the Wayans brothers would be like trying to make a pizza without cheese – technically possible, but completely missing the point.  When Glickman reviewed the initial script developed without the family’s involvement, he reportedly hated it, saying it lacked the right “flavor.”

Instead of producing a tasteless reboot, he reached out to the Wayans family to hear their vision. The meeting must have gone well because Glickman not only gave the brothers creative control but also sweetened the deal by offering them more equity in the movies. “You need to have some connective tissue with the original property,” Glickman explained. “It gives legitimacy to a project so it doesn’t seem like just a cash grab.”

What We Can Expect from the New Film

The Scary Movie reboot is scheduled for a June 12, 2026, theatrical release, which gives the team plenty of time to craft something special. Current horror trends like elevated horror films, supernatural thrillers, and sequels and reboots provide rich material for satire. Imagine what the Wayans brothers could do with recent hits like Hereditary, Midsommar, or the various Conjuring universe films.

Faris and Hall’s return brings emotional weight to the project. Their joint statement on Deadline perfectly captured the spirit fans hope to see: “We can’t wait to bring Brenda and Cindy back to life and be reunited with our great friends Keenen, Shawn, and Marlon — three men we’d literally die for (in Brenda’s case, again).” That last line is pure gold and shows they understand exactly what made their characters memorable.

The Broader Impact on Comedy Films

This Scary Movie reboot represents the return to a style of comedy that’s been largely absent from theaters in recent years. While we’ve had plenty of comedic superhero movies and action comedies, the pure parody-type film has become increasingly rare. The success or failure of this project could influence whether the studios greenlight similar comedic parody projects. There’s something to be said for films that exist purely to make audiences laugh without trying to deliver profound messages or achieve awards season recognition.

Modern audiences, particularly the younger generations who might have missed the OG films during their theatrical runs, deserve to experience this type of communal laughter in theaters. Comedy films work differently on the big screen, where audience reactions feed off each other and create an energy that home viewing can’t replicate.

Final Thoughts on the Scary Movie Reboot

As someone who grew up watching these movies and has quoted them endlessly, I’m genuinely excited about this Scary Movie reboot. Yes, there’s always risk involved in reviving beloved franchises, but everything about this project suggests the creative team understands what made the originals work.

Having the original creators back in control, combined with the return of key cast members and a studio head who respects the property’s legacy, creates conditions for success that seemed impossible just a few years ago. The horror genre has given us plenty to be scared of lately. Now it’s time for someone to make us laugh at those fears again. June 2026 can’t come soon enough.