‘Scary Movie’ Reboot Leads Global Charts With $100M-Plus

They said parody was dead. The Wayans brothers just proved otherwise. The long-awaited ‘Scary Movie’ reboot has debuted atop the global box office charts, surpassing $100 million in its opening weekend and landing as one of the biggest comedy openings of the decade.

Shawn and Marlon Wayans return to the franchise they helped build from the ground up, reuniting with producer Neal H. Moritz and older brother Keenen Ivory Wayans, who co-wrote the film alongside Rick Alvarez — a creative collaborator who has worked with the family since ‘Scary Movie 2′ in 2001. Directed by Michael Tiddes, the new installment carries on the series’ tradition of puncturing contemporary horror tropes and pop culture phenomena with gleeful irreverence.

The film opened on June 5 to strong reviews from mainstream critics, who praised the comedy’s willingness to skewer the current era’s most fashionable genre entries with sharp, well-targeted humor. The Wayans brothers’ chemistry — both on-screen and as writers — was singled out for particular praise, with multiple outlets noting that their dynamic feels as sharp as ever.

In the UK and Ireland market, ‘Scary Movie’ held off competition from the competing ‘Masters of the Universe’ reboot, finishing ahead in a weekend that saw the box office deliver double-digit year-on-year growth. Analysts credited the film’s broad demographic appeal — drawing both longtime fans of the original series and a younger generation encountering the brand for the first time.

The success represents a significant vindication for Sony Pictures, which greenlit the revival amid considerable internal debate about whether the franchise retained enough cultural equity to justify the investment. With opening weekend numbers now in hand, those doubts appear thoroughly settled.

For the Wayans family, the result cements their position as one of Hollywood’s most durable comedy institutions. In an industry where the theatrical comedy has been widely eulogized, they have delivered a sharp, crowd-pleasing reminder that the genre is very much alive when the material is right.

‘Scary Movie’ also finished ahead of ‘Masters of the Universe’ in its second-place slot globally — a competitive dynamic that will be closely watched as both films continue their theatrical runs in the weeks ahead.