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Easter eggs
Hidden details in every movie and series: 18 in total. Tap a poster to see its eggs. Titles you haven't marked as seen stay locked so nothing gets spoiled.
- Referencenod to comics or other movies
- Cameoa familiar face shows up
- Setupplanted now, pays off later
- Behind the scenesproduction trivia
- Behind the scenesTwo scripts became one
Shawn Wayans conceived a spoof of 90s teen horror and wrote it with Marlon and two partners. At the same time, Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer were working on a similar idea. Dimension bought both and handed the duo's script to the Wayans. The Writers Guild credited both sides, and the Wayans argued that none of the other team's work made it in.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesAnna Faris was headed for London
Anna Faris had just graduated and planned to live in London, but went to Los Angeles for a year first. She auditioned and landed her first acting job. Keenen Ivory Wayans took a chance on her, despite no experience, because of her natural instinct. Jenny McCarthy and Melissa Joan Hart auditioned for Drew before Carmen Electra. Aaliyah was offered Brenda and declined out of respect for Brandy.
source ↗ - Reference"Scary Movie" was Scream's working title
Scary Movie was the working title of the project that became Scream. The spoof tracks Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer closely, with the same idea of a group hiding an accident. Shooting took place in British Columbia, from August 16 to October 18, 1999.
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- Behind the scenesMarlon Brando shot for one day
Marlon Brando was cast as Father McFeely and shot for one day, but left the production due to illness. James Woods took the part and was paid $1 million for four days of work. Charlton Heston had turned it down earlier.
source ↗ - Behind the scenes130 horror films as research
Keenen Ivory Wayans said the team watched over 130 horror films to prepare the spoof. The music leans on hip-hop and rap, and the film has no official soundtrack album.
source ↗ - Reference"No Sequel" and the reply
The first film's poster tagline was "No Mercy. No Shame. No Sequel." A year later, the sequel's read "We Lied."
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- Behind the scenesThe Wayans left over money
The brothers wanted to make the third film and White Chicks at the same time. Miramax offered what the first film paid, which would have been a cut. They put White Chicks first and the studio went on without them. David Zucker took over directing, and the final script is by Craig Mazin and Pat Proft.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesAnna Faris stayed because of her contract
Keenen Ivory Wayans advised Anna Faris not to do the third film, but she was under a three-picture contract and feared the cost of breaking it. Anthony Anderson took the part to work with Marlon and Shawn, not knowing they had already left. He wouldn't work with the Wayans in the series until the sixth film.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesThere was a Star Wars and Lord of the Rings script
Friedberg and Seltzer wrote a draft called Scary Movie 3: Episode I – Lord of the Brooms, which spoofed Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Zucker preferred a new script, closer in tone to the first two. Kevin Smith signed on as executive producer and co-writer, then withdrew. Filming ran in Vancouver from March 12 to July 16, 2003.
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- CameoThe Airplane! team
Director David Zucker and writer Jim Abrahams are behind the fourth film. They made Airplane! (1980) with Jerry Zucker, and its star Leslie Nielsen returns here as President Baxter Harris. The script is by Craig Mazin, Jim Abrahams and Pat Proft.
source ↗ - CameoShaq and Dr. Phil open the film
The opening spoofs Saw, with Shaquille O'Neal and Dr. Phil themselves chained in a bathroom. Craig Mazin, one of the writers, voices the villain. Cameos also include James Earl Jones as narrator, an uncredited Charlie Sheen and Simon Rex as George.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesAn Easter opening record
The film opened April 14, 2006 and made $40.2 million in its first weekend, the best Easter weekend opening ever at that time. It ended with $178 million worldwide on a $40 million budget.
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- Behind the scenesWeinstein wanted to buy it and shelve it
After finishing A Haunted House, Marlon Wayans got an offer from The Weinstein Company for the rights. He said the plan was to buy it and shelve it, then use the ideas for Scary Movie 5. He turned it down, and A Haunted House opened in 2013.
source ↗ - CameoFew familiar faces return
Anna Faris confirmed she wouldn't return, and Regina Hall declined to come back without her. Only Charlie Sheen, Simon Rex, Molly Shannon and Darrell Hammond return, all in roles different from their old ones. The script is by David Zucker and Pat Proft, and Malcolm D. Lee directed.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesShot in Atlanta
Filming took place mostly in and around Atlanta in the fall of 2012. More was shot in January and February 2013 at Sunset Gower Studios in Los Angeles. Zucker handled reshoots while Lee was starting another film. The fifth had the series' lowest opening, with $14.2 million in the U.S.
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- Behind the scenesThe Wayans returned after 17 years
In April 2024, Miramax announced a new film at CinemaCon. In October, Marlon, Shawn and Keenen announced they were returning as writers and producers, their first collaboration in 17 years. Michael Tiddes directed and Rick Alvarez co-wrote. The budget was $30 million.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesMarlon called it a "rebootquel"
Marlon Wayans described the film as a "rebootquel" that brings back the characters from the first two films and introduces new ones. Principal photography ran from October 1 to November 24, 2025. The March 2026 trailer showed spoofs of Get Out, Longlegs, Sinners and Scream, among others.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesJune 2026 release and a box office hit
The premiere was at the Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles on June 3, 2026, with U.S. theaters on June 5. The film grossed $231.9 million on a $30 million budget, the second-highest in the series after the first. An extended cut with 13 extra minutes and an alternate ending came out on digital on July 21.
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