When Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans and Anna Faris joined us for our Scary Movie horror charades challenge, a standard press-tour interview was never really going to be the point.
This is Scary Movie, after all. The franchise was built on panic, ridiculous timing, horror references and people committing far too hard to very stupid situations. So instead of sitting the cast down for a polished conversation about legacy and nostalgia, we gave them something more in character: scary movies to act out without saying a word.
Ahead of the new Scary Movie film arriving in cinemas on June 5, 2026, we brought together three of the franchise’s most familiar faces for a fast-moving game of horror charades. Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans and Anna Faris joined our presenter Remy Theobald for a challenge built around mime, guessing, chaos and the kind of horror knowledge that has always sat at the heart of the series.
Our Scary Movie interview came with a twist
Rather than asking the cast to simply talk about horror, we wanted to see how well they could perform it.
Across five rounds and a final round, the cast had to identify horror films through physical clues instead of dialogue. That meant no rehearsed answers, no standard junket rhythm and no easy way to hide behind the usual press-tour polish.
For a franchise like Scary Movie, that felt right. The original films worked because the cast understood horror well enough to completely dismantle it. They knew the poses, the panic, the masks, the phone calls and the over-serious tension that make the genre so recognisable. Our game put them straight back into that visual language.
Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans and Anna Faris still know the assignment
Part of what makes the segment work is how quickly the cast slip back into the kind of energy audiences associate with the franchise.
Marlon and Shawn Wayans helped shape the early Scary Movie films with broad physical comedy, fast reactions and a willingness to make horror look as unserious as possible. Their characters, Shorty and Ray, became part of the franchise’s original identity, especially for fans who discovered the films in the early 2000s.
Anna Faris brings a different comic rhythm. As Cindy Campbell, she was often funniest when she seemed terrified, confused and completely committed all at once. That deadpan panic became one of the most recognisable parts of the series.
Seeing the three of them together again, even in a short game format, is a reminder of why this cast mattered in the first place. Give them a horror reference, a bit of pressure and a reason to look ridiculous, and the old chemistry starts to come through.
Why horror charades makes sense for Scary Movie
On paper, charades might sound like a light promotional game. With this cast, it feels much more connected to the franchise itself.
Scary Movie has always depended on recognition. The joke only lands if the audience knows what is being parodied, from masked killers and ominous phone calls to doomed teenagers and sequels taking themselves far too seriously.
That is why our format felt like such a natural fit. Instead of asking the cast to explain the references, we asked them to perform them. The game turns horror knowledge into movement, reaction and timing, which is exactly where Scary Movie has always lived.
The new Scary Movie is bringing the original players back
The timing of our interview also matters. The new Scary Movie arrives 26 years after the first film introduced audiences to a parody universe built from slasher clichés, masked killers and pop-culture targets that were impossible to resist.
Paramount’s official synopsis describes the 2026 film as a return to the franchise’s central premise. Marlon Wayans is back as Shorty, Shawn Wayans returns as Ray, Anna Faris is back as Cindy and Regina Hall returns as Brenda. Together, they are described as “the Core Four” in a story where “no horror movie IP is safe.”
Earlier industry reporting also confirmed that Marlon, Shawn and Keenen Ivory Wayans returned to write and produce the new entry, marking their first major creative return to the franchise after the early instalments. TheWrap reported that the Wayans brothers wrote the new script with Rick Alvarez, with Miramax behind the franchise and Paramount handling worldwide distribution.
Why the reunion works
The first Scary Movie, released in 2000, was a major box office force, earning $277.2 million worldwide against a reported $19 million production budget, according to The Numbers. Its success helped fuel a wave of parody films throughout the decade and proved there was a huge audience for comedy that could tear apart horror while still clearly loving the genre it was mocking.
That legacy is why this reunion feels bigger than a simple promotional stop. Scary Movie is a franchise built heavily around specific performers, rhythms and reactions. Bringing back original cast members gives the new film a clearer emotional hook, while still leaving room to parody newer horror titles.
What we wanted from this interview was not a heavy nostalgia piece. Instead, we wanted to create a setting where the cast could show why audiences still associate them so strongly with this kind of comedy.
What fans can take from our Scary Movie interview
As the new Scary Movie moves toward its June 5 cinema release, our interview offers a small but effective preview of the cast’s enduring chemistry.
Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans and Anna Faris do not need an elaborate setup to remind audiences why the franchise became such a recognisable part of comedy culture. A few horror clues, a competitive format and the pressure of charades are enough to bring that energy back into focus.
With tickets now available and the release date approaching, our segment works as both a reunion and a reminder. It brings the cast back into the horror-comedy space they helped define, while setting up a theatrical comeback designed to connect the franchise’s past with a new generation of viewers.
And honestly, for Scary Movie, that feels more fitting than any normal interview ever could.
