Scary Movie 6 Is Tracking to Slay the Box Office

After more than a decade of silence (and a solid two decades since the Wayans brothers last showed up), Scary Movie 6 is barreling our way—and box office analysts are already betting on a surprisingly decent opening weekend. Not a bad trick for a franchise that’s basically been a pop culture whisper since 2013. But this time, there's serious nostalgia fueling the hype, and yes, the Wayans are back.

The Wayans Factor: Return of the Originals

Here’s what’s different for Scary Movie 6: Keenan Ivory Wayans is producing and co-writing, while Marlon and Shawn Wayans are back to writing and goofing around as Shorty Meeks and Ray Wilkins. For anyone who actually enjoyed the first run (before the franchise went off the rails), that’s a big deal. Throw in returning cast members Anna Faris and Regina Hall and it starts sounding less like a quick cash-in and more like an honest revival.

There’s so much old-school cast stacked in this thing that Marlon Wayans half-joked the only reason Shannon Elizabeth isn’t back is because there were 'toooooo many people coming back.' Assuming the payroll reflects that, the budget might be bigger than the last one—but Paramount hasn’t coughed up the budget details yet.

Box Office Crystal Ball: Will Nostalgia (and Puns) Pay Off?

Now to the numbers. According to BoxOfficeTheory’s May 8 analysis, Scary Movie 6 is predicted to rake in somewhere between $25 million and $35 million at its domestic opening weekend (that’s June 5-7, 2026). To put that in context:

• Scary Movie 5 opened at $14 million (domestically), eventually making $78 million worldwide on a $20 million budget. Not a Marvel-level blockbuster, but not a money pit either.
• The new estimate is nearly double the last outing’s debut, so expectations are pretty high for a franchise that’s been dormant for so long.
• BoxOfficeTheory admits it’s a “volatile” guess, given that live-action comedies have been struggling lately, especially with so many animated and superhero juggernauts dominating the top slots.

That said, horror itself is having a moment right now, and Scary Movie 6 plans to lampoon recent hits like 'Get Out', 'Final Destination', 'Sinners', and 'Weapons'. (Translation: there’s a whole new generation of genre material to make fun of.) According to the report, all this gives the movie a shot at drawing three big crowds: Black audiences, ’00s nostalgia addicts, and Gen Z folks who eat up irony for breakfast.

Release Date Games: Dodging Pixar, Facing Competition

Here’s a little chess move: Paramount slid Scary Movie 6 up a week from June 12 to June 5, 2026. Officially, this was a response to the “overwhelming” reaction to the trailer (that’s Marlon Wayans’ version). Unofficially, it probably has more to do with not getting steamrolled by Pixar’s Toy Story 5, which lands June 19. Nobody wants to compete with Woody and Buzz.

Even with that adjustment, Scary Movie 6 still has to fight for attention in a busy June. Other movies opening the same week include Amazon MGM’s Masters of the Universe (also June 5, with its own $25 million opening prediction) and Fathom’s The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act (June 4, looking at a $10 million debut). So yes, a lot is happening—but at least these films are pretty distinct genre-wise, so maybe they won’t completely cannibalize each other.

Why the Wayans Stayed Away—And What Pulled Them Back

If you’re wondering why the Wayans have been MIA for 25 years, Marlon finally explained it: old-school beef. Specifically, disputes with Bob Weinstein (formerly of Dimension Films) kept the Wayans brothers out. In Marlon's words:

'I’m back because there’s been a dismantling of the Weinstein regime, and I’ve got support from my father.'

So, a toxic ex-boss and some family motivation finally cleared the way for a return. It adds some real-world drama to what’s supposed to be one big horror-comedy spoof.

Long story short: The box office gods think Scary Movie 6 might actually land with both nostalgia-heads and new fans, especially with the Wayans and the classics all together. As comebacks go, this one is a little weird, kind of overdue, but it just might pull off that neat trick of cashing in and having some fun at the same time. We’ll see who’s still laughing on June 5, 2026.