Scary Movie

Plot and characters

The plot of Scary Movie closely follows the structure of the slasher films it parodies. It centres on a group of teenagers in the fictional town of Woodville who are stalked by a killer in a Ghostface mask and robe. The core group consists of Cindy Campbell, her boyfriend Bobby Prinze, and their friends Brenda Meeks, Ray Wilkins, Greg Phillippe, Buffy Gilmore, and Brenda's brother Shorty. The film opens with the murder of Drew Decker, a direct spoof of the famous opening scene from Scream. The teenagers share a dark secret from a year prior, having accidentally hit a man with their car and disposed of his body, swearing to keep it a secret. As the killer begins targeting them, the film weaves through a series of comedic set pieces that parody specific horror movie tropes and scenes. The narrative culminates in a house party where the killers' identities are revealed to be Bobby and Ray, who were copying the original murderer. In a final twist, the real killer is revealed to be Special Officer Doofy, who had been feigning an intellectual disability, in a parody of The Usual Suspects. The film ends with Doofy escaping and Cindy being hit by a car as the sheriff walks away, a bleakly comedic conclusion.

The characters are broad caricatures designed for maximum comedic effect. Anna Faris plays Cindy Campbell as the naive and perpetually screaming final girl, a role that launched her film career. Regina Hall's Brenda Meeks is the loud, scene-stealing best friend whose death in a movie theatre becomes a punchline about audience annoyance. Marlon and Shawn Wayans appear as Shorty, the stoner, and Ray, one of the eventual killers, respectively. The film also features a host of supporting characters like the vapid beauty queen Buffy, the aggressive reporter Gail Hailstorm, and the seemingly simple-minded Doofy. The dynamic between Cindy and Brenda proved particularly enduring, with many critics and fans noting their chemistry as a highlight of the film and a reason for its lasting appeal.

Production and development

The concept for Scary Movie originated with Shawn Wayans, who wanted to create a parody of the popular teen slasher films of the late 1990s. He, along with his brother Marlon and writing partners Buddy Johnson and Phil Beauman, drafted a script with the working title Last Summer I Screamed Because Halloween Fell on Friday the 13th. Concurrently, screenwriters Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, known for the 1996 spoof Spy Hard, were developing a similar project titled Scream If I Know What You Did Last Halloween. Dimension Films, a subsidiary of Miramax, purchased both scripts and merged the projects, handing the Friedberg and Seltzer material to the Wayans brothers to develop. This led to a Writers Guild of America arbitration that granted writing credits to both teams, a decision that reportedly infuriated the Wayans, who contended none of the other writers' work was used in the final film.

Casting saw Keenen Ivory Wayans take a chance on the inexperienced Anna Faris for the lead role of Cindy, impressed by her natural innocence and comedic instinct. Other notable casting considerations included Jenny McCarthy and Melissa Joan Hart auditioning for the role of Drew Decker before it went to Carmen Electra. Singer Aaliyah was offered the role of Brenda but declined out of respect for fellow R&B singer Brandy, whose role in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer the character parodied. Principal photography for the film took place over two months, from August 16 to October 18, 1999, with a significant portion shot in British Columbia, Canada. The production utilised a replica of the Ghostface costume from the Scream series, though the original costume was reportedly used in the scene where Cindy spots the killer outside her school window.

Parody targets and humour

Scary Movie's humour is almost entirely referential, relying on audiences' familiarity with a wide range of films and pop culture. The primary narrative framework is a mashup of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, both written by Kevin Williamson. Key scenes are directly lifted and comically exaggerated, such as the opening murder and the final revelation of the killer's identity. The film's title itself is an inside joke, as Scary Movie was the working title for the project that eventually became Scream. The parody extends far beyond these two films, however, creating a dense collection of pop culture nods.

The film lampoons a broad spectrum of horror and mainstream cinema. Major parodies include the bullet-time fight sequence from The Matrix during the climax, the tearful apology scene from The Blair Witch Project performed by reporter Gail Hailstorm, and the twist ending of The Usual Suspects. It also features references to films like The Sixth Sense, Halloween, Friday the 13th, The Shining, Psycho, and Candyman. Beyond horror, scenes spoof Shakespeare in Love, American Pie, and even propose a fictitious sequel to Amistad. The humour also ventures into television and advertising, with references to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dawson's Creek, and the Budweiser Whassup? ad campaign. This scattershot approach to comedy, blending high- and low-brow references, became a defining characteristic of the franchise.

Notable films parodied include:

• Scream (1996), The primary narrative and opening scene.
• I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), The central secret and backstory.
• The Matrix (1999), The climactic fight using bullet time.
• The Blair Witch Project (1999), Gail Hailstorm's snot-filled apology video.
• The Usual Suspects (1995), The twist ending with Doofy.
• Halloween (1978), Cindy spotting the killer outside her classroom.
• The Sixth Sense (1999), Shorty saying "I see dead people."

Release and box office performance

Dimension Films released Scary Movie in the United States and Canada on July 7, 2000, across 2,912 screens. This figure set a new record for the biggest opening weekend for an R-rated film, surpassing Air Force One, and was the second-highest opening of the year behind Mission: Impossible 2. The film demonstrated strong staying power, ultimately grossing $157 million in the United States and Canada, which made it Miramax's highest-grossing film in that market at the time, overtaking Good Will Hunting. International markets contributed an additional $121 million, bringing the worldwide total to $278 million against a production budget of $19 million, making it a massive financial success and the highest-grossing film in the series.

The film was released on DVD and VHS on December 12, 2000, by Buena Vista Home Entertainment under the Dimension Home Video banner. Its home media success further cemented its popularity. Over the years, distribution rights shifted through corporate acquisitions. When the Weinstein brothers left Miramax in 2005 to form The Weinstein Company, they took the Dimension Films label, but Disney retained the library of pre-September 2005 Dimension releases, including Scary Movie. Miramax was later sold to Filmyard Holdings in 2010 and then to beIN Media Group in 2016. In 2020, ViacomCBS, now Paramount Global, purchased a 49 percent stake in Miramax, gaining rights to its library. This deal allowed Paramount to reissue Scary Movie on Blu-ray in 2020 and make it available for streaming on its Paramount+ service, ensuring the film remained accessible to new audiences.

Critical reception and cultural impact

Initial critical reception for Scary Movie was mixed. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 52 percent approval rating based on 122 reviews, with a consensus noting it "overloads on crudity and grossness to get its laughs." Metacritic assigned a score of 48 based on 32 reviews, indicating mixed or average reviews. CinemaScore audiences gave it a B− grade. Critics were divided on the film's humour. Roger Ebert awarded it three out of four stars, calling it a "raucous, satirical attack" that "delivers the goods," though he noted it lacked the groundbreaking impact of Airplane!. Conversely, A.O. Scott of The New York Times found the jokes "annoying less for their vulgarity than for their tiredness." Canadian critic Peter Howell of the Toronto Star wrote that the film "doesn't just push the gross-out envelope, it folds, spindles, mutilates and mails it to your mama," but criticized its frequent sexist, racist, and homophobic gags.

Despite the mixed reviews, Scary Movie became a cultural phenomenon, particularly among teenage audiences. Its success directly spawned a franchise, with Scary Movie 2 released just one year later in 2001, followed by three more sequels over the next decade. The film's tagline, "No Mercy. No Shame. No Sequel," was famously contradicted by the sequel's poster, which read "We Lied." The characters of Cindy and Brenda, played by Anna Faris and Regina Hall, became a memorable and popular comedic pair in the genre. The film's style of rapid-fire, referential parody influenced a wave of similar spoof films in the 2000s. Its legacy is one of commercial triumph and cult status, remembered for its boundary-pushing, politically incorrect humour that defined a specific moment in pop culture.

The 2026 revival

Directed by Michael Tiddes and written by Marlon and Shawn Wayans, the film brought back the original "Core Four" cast members: Anna Faris as Cindy Campbell, Regina Hall as Brenda Meeks, Marlon Wayans as Shorty, and Shawn Wayans as Ray Wilkins. The plot follows the characters twenty-six years after the events of the first film, as they find themselves targeted by a new masked slasher, with their teenage children also drawn into the mayhem. The film promises a return to the series' roots, parodying contemporary horror movie IP and modern pop culture with its signature irreverent style. Early promotional material and reviews indicated the 2026 film attempted to blend nostalgia for the original with updated satire. References in the film reportedly included very current topics such as streaming culture, social media, K-pop, and specific internet personalities, leading some commentators to note its humour would likely feel dated quickly. The film was released by Paramount Pictures, which had acquired distribution rights through its stake in Miramax. The return of the principal cast was a major selling point, aiming to recapture the chemistry that made the first film a hit while introducing the franchise to a new generation.

Franchise and legacy

The Scary Movie franchise consists of six films released between 2000 and 2026. The first film's massive profitability ensured immediate sequels, with Scary Movie 2 arriving in 2001, also directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans. The 2026 film served as a soft reboot and direct sequel to the original, reuniting the core cast. Throughout its run, the franchise has been a consistent, if not always critically praised, box office performer, known for its lowbrow, referential comedy.

The legacy of Scary Movie is complex. It revitalized the parody genre in the early 2000s and inspired numerous imitators. Its financial model, using a low budget to chase massive returns through broad, youth-oriented humour, became a template for many subsequent comedies. For Canadian audiences, the film has a direct connection through its production, as significant portions were filmed in British Columbia. The characters of Cindy and Brenda remain memorable figures in comedy, and the film's specific brand of crude, pop culture-saturated jokes retains a nostalgic appeal. The 2026 revival demonstrates the enduring commercial viability of the property, attempting to leverage that nostalgia while updating its targets for a new era of film and internet culture.

Questions about Scary Movie

Who is the killer in Scary Movie?

The plot features multiple killers. Initially, the murders are committed by Bobby Prinze and Ray Wilkins, who are copying the original Ghostface killer. In the final twist, the true killer is revealed to be Special Officer Doofy, who had been faking an intellectual disability. He escapes with reporter Gail Hailstorm at the end, a direct parody of the conclusion of the film The Usual Suspects.

Where was Scary Movie filmed?

Scary Movie was filmed primarily in British Columbia, Canada. Principal photography for the 2000 film took place from August 16, 1999 to October 18, 1999. The production was based in Canada for this entire period. This filming location is a common detail for many productions due to various incentives and studio availability. The specific dates confirm the production schedule was relatively compact.

Who are the main actors in the original Scary Movie?

The main actors in the original 2000 Scary Movie include Anna Faris as Cindy Campbell, Regina Hall as Brenda Meeks, and Marlon and Shawn Wayans who co-wrote the film and star as Shorty Meeks and Ray Wilkins respectively. The film also stars Jon Abrahams as Bobby Prinze, Carmen Electra as Drew Decker, Shannon Elizabeth as Buffy Gilmore, Kurt Fuller as Sheriff Burke, Lochlyn Munro as Greg Phillippe, Cheri Oteri as Gail Hailstorm, and Dave Sheridan as Officer Doofy Gilmore. This ensemble cast was directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans. Anna Faris booked her first acting role for this film after her audition impressed the director with her natural innocence and humour.

What movies does Scary Movie parody?

Scary Movie primarily parodies the slasher films Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, using their general narrative arcs and recreating key scenes comically. The film extensively references many other movies including The Matrix in its climax fight, The Usual Suspects in its twist ending, and The Blair Witch Project in Gail Hailstorm's apology scene. Other parodied films include Halloween, The Sixth Sense, American Pie, Shakespeare in Love, Psycho, and Candyman. The humour relies on specific references to these contemporary films, requiring audience familiarity with the source material to fully appreciate the jokes, as noted by critic Roger Ebert.

How much money did Scary Movie make?

Scary Movie was a major box office success, grossing $278 million worldwide on a production budget of $19 million. It earned $157 million in the United States and Canada and an additional $121 million in other international markets. It became the highest-grossing film in the Scary Movie series and was the ninth-highest-grossing film of the year in the United States. This financial performance made it Miramax's highest-grossing film in the US and Canadian market, surpassing Good Will Hunting.

Sources and further reading

• Scary Movie (Wikipedia)
• Scary Movie (2026) (rottentomatoes.com)
• Scary Movie (2026) (primevideo.com)
• Scary Movie (2026) directed by Michael Tiddes (letterboxd.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-30.