Scary Movie Franchise Overview
The Wayans brothers, primarily Keenen Ivory, Shawn, and Marlon, created the Scary Movie franchise, a series of horror parody films. The first film, Scary Movie, was released in 2000 by Dimension Films, a Miramax label, and grossed over $278 million worldwide on a $15 million budget. The series is known for its parodies of popular horror films like Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and The Blair Witch Project. The franchise has grossed over $900 million globally across its installments. The Wayans family, including siblings Damon, Kim, and Shawn, were central to the creative and production process, often writing and starring in the films. The series was initially distributed by Dimension Films and later by The Weinstein Company. For more on the film industry and box office trends, see Forbes box office analysis.
Scary Movie 2 followed in 2001, also under Dimension Films, and grossed over $141 million worldwide. The film parodied The Exorcist, The Haunting, and Hannibal. The production was handled by Wayans Bros. Entertainment and distributed by Miramax Films. The third installment, Scary Movie 3, was released in 2003 by Dimension Films and Paramount Pictures, earning over $220 million globally. It shifted the parody targets to The Ring, Signs, and 8 Mile. The film was produced by Epsilon Motion Pictures and Wayans Bros. Entertainment. The franchise continued with Scary Movie 4 in 2006, which grossed over $178 million worldwide and parodied War of the Worlds, The Village, and Saw. The film was distributed by The Weinstein Company and Dimension Films. For more on film distribution and production companies, see Forbes studio overview.
Other Horror and Comedy Projects
Beyond the Scary Movie series, the Wayans brothers were involved in other horror-adjacent and comedy projects. Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, released in 1996, was a crime parody produced by Miramax Films and distributed by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. The film grossed over $57 million in the U.S. and was written by and starred Shawn and Marlon Wayans. The brothers also created and produced The Wayans Bros., a sitcom that ran from 1995 to 1999 on The WB network. While not a horror film, it showcased their production style and comedic approach. They were also involved in the production of A Low Down Dirty Shame, a 1994 action comedy. For more on the Wayans family's television work, see Forbes TV history.
The Wayans brothers have been involved in various other film projects that blend horror and comedy elements. White Chicks, released in 2004, was a comedy produced by Revolution Studios and distributed by Columbia Pictures. While not a horror film, it featured the brothers in lead roles and grossed over $113 million worldwide. The film was written by Keenen Ivory and Shawn Wayans. They also produced and starred in Little Man, a 2006 comedy released by Columbia Pictures, which grossed over $101 million in the U.S. The film was produced by Revolution Studios and Wayans Bros. Entertainment. For more on comedy film production
