Scary Movie 6 Could Smash the Franchise Box Office Record

Something I didn't think I'd be writing in 2024: the Wayans brothers are back for another spin at Scary Movie, which, just to keep everyone slightly confused, is being called Scary Movie 6 but is also styled simply as 'Scary Movie'. This one's a direct tie-in to the first two, which basically means they're pressing the reset button and ignoring the series' slightly ropey later years. Paramount's sorting the release, with Wayans Bros. Entertainment actually driving the thing – plenty of the family on both sides of the camera.

Here's the good bit for anyone who cares about original cast and proper franchise reconnections: Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Anna Faris, and Regina Hall are all back for this one. It's got a nationwide release scheduled for Friday, 5th June, and if you’re eager (or just want to avoid spoilers), you can catch preview screenings on the 4th.

Money Talks: Scary Movie 6's Box Office Odds

Now, this is where it gets interesting. Early box office predictions for Scary Movie 6 look surprisingly strong – we're talking about a domestic opening weekend somewhere between $45 and $55 million, apparently. If those numbers land (and they're coming straight from the beans-counters at BoxOfficeTheory as of 3rd June, with BoxOfficePro saying almost the same a few days earlier), the film could actually top the franchise's previous US opening record, which is $49.7 million by Scary Movie 3.

There’s a bit of competition, but nothing a well-timed spoof can’t weather. Backrooms and Obsession, a pair of horror flicks, are dropping the same weekend – plus Masters of the Universe is lurching onto screens with its reboot muscles flexing. That said, the market forecasts reckon Scary Movie 6 is tracking better than almost every other live-action comedy in years (unless you count superhero movies or those big brand machines like Barbie). The ticket-buying crowd they’re counting on? Millennials, Gen Xers, plus a solid pull with Latino and Black audiences – all historically good news for turnout.

Franchise Totals, for the Nerds Keeping Score

• Scary Movie (2000): $157 million US, $278 million worldwide.
• Scary Movie 3: $49.7 million opening (domestic record so far).
• Scary Movie 4 (2006): $90 million total US.
• Scary Movie 5 (2013): $32 million total US (a bit of a disaster, honestly).
• Scary Movie 6 (2024, forecast): $92 million US for the full run is what they're saying for now, with some room to go higher.

If these predictions pan out, Scary Movie 6 should clear the embarrassing bar set by number five and may even match – or inch past – number four. Not bad for a franchise that hadn’t made any noise in over a decade.

Budget: The Return of Sensible Spending

On the finance side, Variety says Scary Movie 6 comes in at a positively sensible $30 million budget, covered by Miramax. That's more than Scary Movie 4's $20 million, but significantly less than the slightly bonkers $48 million for part three (for a spoof movie, remember). By industry standards, it needs to pull about 2.5 times that budget to break even – so if it makes $75 million domestically, it's more than covered, even before factoring in whatever it picks up outside North America.

All told, unless everyone suddenly loses interest in nostalgic comedies, the film looks like a safe financial bet, particularly after all that time away. And with the original crew back in the game, the nostalgia play is obvious, but probably will pay off. The fact that the cast payroll is so high profile but the production budget is that low is, if we’re being honest, a bit of a surprise.

Comedy Is Counter-Programming... Again

Summer's crowded, but Scary Movie 6 sidesteps the earnestness of stuff like Masters of the Universe, Disclosure Day, Toy Story 5 and Supergirl. For at least a few weeks, it’ll get to be the one big comedy in a sea of superheroes, nostalgia sequels, and earnest blockbusters. (The next real competition in the silly stakes is Jackass: Best and Last, due 26th June.)

Yes, They’re Still Parodying Horror, Obviously

Paramount’s dropped a quick final trailer, and the whole thing takes a jab at Get Out – you know, the bit with the teacup hypnosis. Ghostface stirs the cup, Shawn Wayans’ Ray Wilkins sinks into the chair, and, well, you get the idea. The same Scary Movie formula as two decades ago, just with slightly more references for anyone who spends too much time on Reddit.