After 13 years, Scary Movie is back, and all our franchise favorites are in it. Marlon and Shawn Wayans have returned, alongside Anna Faris, Regina Hall, and even Dave Sheridan as the dopey sheriff Doofy is here — but so is the franchise’s biting humor.
After Marlon Wayans — co-star, writer, and co-creator — leaked the trailer ahead of Scream 7, Paramount Pictures quickly made the footage official. It gives us glimpses into all the horror movies from the last decade that the film will be parodying, such as M3gan, The Substance, Sinners, Get Out, Scream, and so many more, with seemingly great effect. But it also touches on the culture wars in America from the last ten years: pronoun jokes, red vs. blue politics, sexuality — all the hot-button topics primed for controversy and edgy punchlines.
That’s very much in line with what Scary Movie has always done, but it’s coming during a strange time for comedies. Parodies are supposed to hold up a mirror to what they’re making fun of, but that type of humor can be risky in a current climate where all the culture war stuff is escalating into very real consequences — with legislation and laws being drawn up to stifle these communities.
Scary Movie and last year’s Naked Gun have a lot in common. They are both revived parody film franchises that have been rebooted for modern audiences. Naked Gun took the safe route with its humor, favoring absurdity and broadly accessible gags over sharper, more provocative commentary. And it was able to garner success because it wasn’t punching down on anybody or reflecting on the current times.
Based on the trailer, Scary Movie doesn’t appear to be softening its edges. Instead, it seems to double down on the mean-spirited streak that defined its early 2000s heyday. That leaves two possibilities: Either the Wayans are staying faithful to the formula fans loved, or they’re betting that nostalgia alone can carry a brand of comedy that may not land the same way in 2026. We’ll find out which theory holds when the film hits theaters on June 12.
