The long-awaited sixth installment in the Scary Movie franchise will hit theaters this summer. While fans were originally excited about the return of this beloved spoof series, the trailer’s release has left audiences divided.
Nearly two years ago, in April of 2024, Scary Movie 6 was announced to be in the works. This reveal was shocking because the franchise had seemingly died off after the fifth installment in 2013. Nearly a decade later, favorites of the franchise would reunite to deliver a further installment.
The inception of Scary Movie
The original Scary Movie film was released in 2000, over a quarter of a century ago. The film took parody to an extreme, offending horror movie purists with its jokes at the expense of respected films within the horror genre. While the film had juvenile jokes, Scary Movie blended horror and comedy in a way that had audiences questioning what it actually means for a film to be considered in the horror genre.
The Wayans brothers were the main creatives behind the original film. They wrote, directed, and starred in the film. However, after the first sequel, they were discarded from their own franchise. Despite this, the Scary Movie mania continued with three more installments.
The absence of the Wayans brothers began to drag the franchise down, with many of the most devoted Scary Movie fans noticing a drop in quality as the projects continued. After Scary Movie 5, it seems that the franchise had taken its last breath. Audiences largely look back on the franchise fondly (even the sequels), hoping it will make its return someday.
Back from the dead
As years went on, it seemed there was no hope for a further addition to the Scary Movie catalog; that was, until 2024. After the announcement of Scary Movie 6, the wave of excitement was instantaneous. With the franchise taking a hiatus for over a decade, there was a significant amount of material for the new film to poke fun at. Speculation regarding what new horror films would be turned into Scary Movie fodder began.
The hype for Scary Movie 6 only continued to grow with more details being revealed. The Wayans brothers were finally returning to their own franchise, making fans even more hopeful for the content of the film. Furthermore, rumors spread about staple Scary Movie cast members making their return, with Anna Faris and Regina Hall reprising their roles as Cindy and Brenda.
The excitement for the film couldn’t have been higher. That was, until the first trailer dropped on March 2.
A trailer tells too much
There is no denying that the trailer for Scary Movie 6 is full of exciting details. Seeing some of the most iconic characters of the franchise back for another round is enough to make any nostalgic viewer happy.
In addition to getting a glimpse of familiar faces, the trailer teased references to other horror films. In just over two minutes, the trailer showcased references to horror classics such as Scream and Halloween, as well as recent hits such as Terrifier, Smile, and even as recent as Sinners.
However, the trailer fell flat with some of its jokes. In the opening scene clobbers viewers over the head with a joke about pronouns. As Ghostface attacks a character on the train, a witness yells, “He stabbed her!” to which the victim retorts, “Not her. My pronouns are they/them.”
While the joke might have been funny to a select audience– namely, middle-aged men who are avid watchers of The Daily Wire– those with a true respect for comedy met this line with a collective sigh. Not only does the joke feel about seven years too late to land, but the delivery is also just clunky. While this is probably the most glaring example from the trailer, there are several other lines that fall with a thud.
Grieving the greatness of Scary Movie
Some of the downright abysmal writing in the trailer forced fans to rethink the franchise as a whole. Was it ever that good, or was it just a product of its time? When the original Scary Movie was released, the sort of low-brow humor was seen as subversive. Twenty-six years later, good comedy is smart comedy. The playground insults and slapstick humor that gained Scary Movie recognition just isn’t that funny anymore.
Fans who rewatched the past installments of the franchise began to realize that the jokes they thought were hilarious as prepubescent teens were no longer landing. Audiences must now reconcile with the fact that our culture may have moved on from Scary Movie.
While the trailer hasn’t left audiences hopeful about Scary Movie 6, many will likely still give the film a chance when it hits theaters on June 12, 2026. However, fans should mitigate their expectations.
What the dialogue surrounding this trailer has revealed is not that Scary Movie has dropped in quality, but that viewers have higher expectations than they had twenty years ago. While audiences have matured, the writing of this once-beloved franchise has not. Perhaps we should leave Scary Movie an artifact of early-2000s parody.
