Anthony Anderson is back in the Scary Movie franchise, but this return carries a different weight than his first run.
Anderson played Mahalik in Scary Movie 3 and Scary Movie 4, but he recently said he did not know at the time that Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and the original Wayans creative team were no longer involved with the series.
Now, with Marlon and Shawn back for the new Scary Movie, Anderson says the return feels closer to the version of the job he thought he was getting years ago. The new film opens in theaters June 5 and brings back several franchise favorites, including Anna Faris and Regina Hall.
Anderson Expected Marlon and Shawn Wayans the First Time
Speaking with People at the Peabody Awards in Beverly Hills, Anderson said he was excited to join Scary Movie 3 because he believed he would be working with his friends Marlon and Shawn Wayans.
That was not what happened. By the time Anderson entered the franchise in 2003, the Wayans brothers had already split from the series after creating the first two films with Keenen Ivory Wayans.
Anderson said the experience was still good, but it was not the collaboration he expected. That is why his new return has a cleaner hook than a normal comeback casting story: he is finally making a Scary Movie with the Wayans family back in place.
Marlon Wayans Called Him After Getting the Franchise Back
Anderson said Marlon Wayans reached out after he “wrestled the franchise back into the family name.” Anderson did not need much convincing after that call.
The reunion carries extra history because the Wayans family’s relationship with Scary Movie has been complicated for more than two decades. Marlon and Shawn starred in the 2000 original and the 2001 sequel, both directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans.
After that, the franchise continued without them. Marlon has spoken openly about how painful that was, saying the series was taken from the family after business disagreements with the Weinstein-era Miramax.
The New Movie Brings Back the Original Faces
The new Scary Movie is not only another installment after a long break. For the Wayans family, it brings them back to a comedy property they helped create and define.
Marlon has described the movie as a “rebootiquel,” meaning it works as both a reboot and a sequel. Paramount’s official description says Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Anna Faris, and Regina Hall reunite alongside returning favorites and new faces.
Faris returns as Cindy Campbell, and Hall returns as Brenda Meeks. Their comeback gives the new movie a direct link to the franchise’s strongest years, while Anderson’s return connects the Wayans comeback to the later sequels that kept the series going after the original creators left.
Anderson Says the New Film Does Not Hold Back
Anderson would not reveal plot details, but he told People the production went well and said audiences should expect to be entertained.
He also said “no holds are barred,” which fits the franchise’s old identity. The early Scary Movie films built their name by spoofing horror hits, celebrity culture, pop trends, and whatever else was unavoidable at the time.
The 2026 movie has a different horror landscape to target. Paramount’s description mentions reboots, remakes, requels, prequels, sequels, spin-offs, elevated horror, origin stories, legacy titles, and “final chapter” branding.
Another Scary Movie Is Already Being Discussed
Anderson also said there have already been discussions about another Scary Movie after this one.
He suggested that a future entry could bring back even more people from across the franchise’s history. That does not mean Scary Movie 7 is officially set, but it shows the comeback is not being treated only as a one-off nostalgia play.
For Anderson, the June 5 release finally puts him in the Scary Movie version he thought he was entering more than 20 years ago: back in the franchise, back with familiar faces, and this time with Marlon and Shawn Wayans involved from the start.