"Everybody in Panic" bets on laughter and nostalgia to relaunch franchise
More than 10 years since the last film, the sixth volume of the "Scary Movie" franchise hits theaters this Wednesday (3). The title returns even more nostalgic with the return of the Wayans brothers in creative control of the production and as protagonists alongside Anna Faris and Regina Hall.
In an interview with CNN Brasil, the cast spoke about the nostalgia moment that the film industry is experiencing and what motivated them to return to this universe.
"It felt like everyone needed to laugh. I think we all needed to work together again on this franchise, resurrect it, bring everyone together, make each other laugh and make the world laugh," said Marlon Wayans.
"After the Covid-19 [pandemic], people missed the collective movie experience. The movie 'Michael' made people feel good dancing. 'Top Gun' made people feel like heroes in the cockpit with Maverick. And 'Scary' is bringing back the laughter - something we all need," he said.
Anna Farris also highlighted the legacy of the franchise and how the characters that appeared on screen for the first time in the 2000s left an impression on viewers.
"We established a sense of nostalgia, which means we created characters that people really love - even though they are horrible people," he said.
What to expect from the new "Scary Movie"
The new "Scary Movie" film hits theaters more than 10 years after the last release and after a decade of success for horror productions, therefore, the material available for parody is large.
Among the films parodied in the plot are: "Run!" (2017); "Halloween" (2018); "M3GAN" (2022); "Longlegs: Deadly Bond" (2024); "The Dark Hour" (2025); the winner of four Oscar statuettes "Sinners" (2025); and more.
The return of the original quartet also promises nostalgia. The new film in the "Scream" franchise determined how they wanted the project to go.
"When we saw 'Scream' 5 and 6, we thought: 'That's the model'. It was a legacy film, mixing old and new characters. We wanted to explore this multigenerational aspect," Marlon told CNN Brasil.
"We also put a lot of pop culture into the film. Life and the world are told through the lens of cinema," he added.
The "Scary Movie" franchise
Brothers Marlon, Shawn and Keenen Ivory Wayans starred in and co-wrote the first two "Scary Movie" films. Alongside Anna Faris and Regina Hall, they parodied the most famous horror films of the time.
The franchise continued and had three more films - two of them with Faris and Hall as protagonists. According to Marlon, he and his brothers demanded a salary increase after the success of the first two titles, but the producer made them a low offer and they refused.
"We got an announcement on New Year's Eve that they were making 'Scary Movie 3'. We didn't even know. The franchise was taken away from us. And we were just asking for our fair share," Marlon alleged.
Wayans also stated that the Weinsteins, former owners of Miramax, harmed him in relation to the copyright of the first two films, but that the current CEO of the production company got in touch to revive the "Scary Movie" franchise.
"I thought, 'I can't do this without my brothers'. So I convinced Shawn and Keenen to participate. This is a return to the franchise we all created, so forget about all the bad years! This isn't 'Scary 6'; this is a reboot," he said.
Watch the trailer for "Scary Movie"
Everyone in Panic | Official Trailer | LEG | Paramount Pictures Brazil
Source: CNN