Scary Movie, released on 7 July 2000 and directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, is a horror-comedy parody film that lampoons late-1990s slasher movies — primarily Scream (1996) and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997). Produced on a budget of approximately $19 million, it grossed $278 million worldwide, making it one of the most profitable comedies of its era and spawning a five-film franchise that redefined the spoof genre for a new generation.
What Is Scary Movie About and Who Made It?
Written by Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Buddy Johnson, Phil Beauman, Jason Friedberg, and Aaron Seltzer, the film follows teenager Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris) and her friends as they are stalked by a masked killer called the Ghostface — a direct send-up of the Ghostface killer from the Scream franchise. The Wayans brothers drew on their sketch-comedy background (In Living Color, 1990–1994) to pack the film with rapid-fire gags, pop-culture references, and crude physical humour. Anna Faris, in her breakout role, anchored the film with sharp comic timing, while supporting players including Regina Hall, Shawn Wayans, and Marlon Wayans provided memorable ensemble performances. Dimension Films, the genre label of Miramax, distributed the picture in North America.
How Did Scary Movie Perform at the Box Office?
Scary Movie opened at number one in the United States, earning $42.3 million in its opening weekend — an extraordinary return on its $19 million production budget. By the end of its theatrical run it had accumulated $157 million domestically and $278 million globally, ranking it among the top-grossing R-rated comedies ever released at that time. The film's success prompted Dimension Films to greenlight sequels almost immediately. Scary Movie 2 followed in 2001, while the franchise continued with Scary Movie 3 (2003, directed by David Zucker), Scary Movie 4 (2006), and Scary Movie 5 (2013). The five films combined earned over $895 million worldwide.
| Film | Year | Director | Box Office (Worldwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scary Movie | 2000 | Keenen Ivory Wayans | $278 million |
| Scary Movie 2 | 2001 | Keenen Ivory Wayans | $141 million |
| Scary Movie 3 | 2003 | David Zucker | $220 million |
| Scary Movie 4 | 2006 | David Zucker | $178 million |
| Scary Movie 5 | 2013 | Malcolm D. Lee | $78 million |
What Is the Cultural Legacy of Scary Movie?
Scary Movie revitalised the spoof-film genre, which had lain largely dormant since the Naked Gun and Hot Shots! series of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Its success directly inspired a wave of parody films including Not Another Teen Movie (2001), Date Movie (2006), Epic Movie (2007), and Disaster Movie (2008). Anna Faris became a comedy star on the strength of her performance, later leading the CBS sitcom Mom (2013–2021). The film also cemented the Wayans family — Keenen, Shawn, and Marlon — as major Hollywood comedy forces. Critically, the picture holds a 53% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but its cultural footprint far exceeds its critical reception: the Ghostface parody mask and the name 'Cindy Campbell' became immediately recognisable pop-culture shorthand for horror-comedy.
