‘The Wayans antidote’: Latest Scary Movie aims to cancel cancel culture, creators say
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Writers, producers and stars Marlon Wayans (left) and Shawn Wayans at the premiere of Scary Movie in Los Angeles on June 3.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LOS ANGELES - With its fake horror and off-colour jokes, the creators of the sixth instalment in the Scary Movie franchise (2000 to present) say they are offering an antidote to what they see as today’s censorious culture.
The Wayans family, who created the politically incorrect parody almost three decades ago, think their latest work is arriving at just the right time.
“I think that it’s an important movie right now for the culture, so that we can handle cancel culture in a whole another way,” Shawn Wayans, its co-producer, co-writer and star, said at the Los Angeles red carpet premiere on June 3.
The 55-year-old American actor is confident that audiences in 2026 will embrace this new episode of the saga, which takes on issues at the heart of the culture wars, like sexuality, gender and race.
“Just because cancel culture exists, it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t have laughter anymore,” he said.
“I think it’s important for the world to be able to laugh; that’s healthy, it’s healing, it’s medicine.”
His sister, actress-comedian Kim Wayans, 64, agreed that as a society, we need to have fewer sacred cows and be more ready to laugh at things, even if it offends some people.
“Tonight we’re going to cancel cancel culture – that’s what this movie is going to do,” she said.
American director Michael Tiddes (A Haunted House, 2013; A Haunted House 2, 2014) said the project proved to be a challenge.
“You had to find a balance between the movies we were spoofing, the Wayans brothers’ authentic comedy that I was injecting into the film, and also our own story and our own characters, making sure that they had a beginning, a middle and an end,” the 50-year-old said.
(From left) Marlon Wayans, Regina Hall and Shawn Wayans in Scary Movie.
PHOTO: UIP
In addition to Shawn, Kim, Marlon and Damon Wayans, the cast also features Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Jon Abrahams and Cheri Oteri – bringing back Doofy, the parody of the killer from Scream, Ghostface, that served as the catalyst for the very first film in 2000.
But true to tradition, the latest Scary Movie was refreshed by satirising recent horror hits – including The Substance (2024), Sinners (2025), Smile (2022), Weapons (2025), Longlegs (2024), Terrifier (2016) and the Netflix series Wednesday (2022 to present).
The franchise is back in the hands of the Wayans clan after several years of absence, becoming a true family affair.
Not only did several of the brothers write the script, but some of their children and nephews – such as Gregg Wayans – also joined the team.
For the 37-year-old, Scary Movie is timeless and has the potential to make different generations laugh, thanks to his uncles’ brand of “no-limits” humour.
“I think people want to laugh. They’re just waiting for film-makers like my family to stop abiding by all the rules,” he said.
“We need some more rule-breakers, and us getting this franchise back, I think it’s the first step,” he said. “It’s the Wayans antidote.” AFP
Scary Movie is showing in Singapore cinemas.
