5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About ‘Scary Movie’

Though it may be hard to believe, the widely popular scary, parody film “Scary Movie” directed by Keenen Wayans turns 25 this year. And with Halloween finally here and spooky season on its way out, we figured now is the best time to take a look back at the cult classic film!

While it was initially met with skepticism, the film went on to be a box office success in 2000, marking it one of the biggest debuts for a comedy film ever at the time by any director, Black or otherwise. Nowadays, it’s become a movie many of us can quote and love to look back on fondly, but despite how many times we may have all seen it, there are still some facts about the movie that you may not know.

So that’s why we decided to round up a handful of little-known nuggets about the movie that you may be surprised to hear. Keep reading to get into it!

Singer Aaliyah Said No to Starring in the Movie

In an old interview with MTV2, singer Aaliyah shared that she was the film producers’ first choice to play the role of “Brenda” (that would later go to Regina Hall, but more on that later). But based off the direction they wanted her to take it, she ultimately decided against it.

“They wanted me to play Brandy, and kind of do a parody of her,” the late singer explained at the time. “I actually liked the script, I thought it was really funny, but I didn’t want anybody to take it like I was disrespecting her in anyway. So, I actually didn’t do it and it turned out to be a really funny movie.”

A Producer Tried to Talk Regina Hall Out of Being “Brenda”

In a 2018 interview with Fast Company, Regina Hall (who hilariously played Brenda) revealed that she auditioned four times to get the role. She also shared that a producer tried to talk her out of doing the movie.

“He was like ‘are you sure you want to play the loud girl? You’re Black, you want to play the loud Black girl, you’re gonna be stuck?'” Hall said.

Thankfully, she insisted on doing it anyway and she looks back fondly on her time making that film.

Later reflecting on that moment again in September on the “Not Gonna Lie ” podcast with Kylie Kelce, Hall said:

“I don’t think I was necessarily thinking about outcomes, it was just funny. And I was like ‘it’s really funny.’ And he felt like it was gonna be, it was gonna pigeonhole me. And I felt like, ‘it was funny!'” she said. “And we haven’t seen it and it’s gonna be a great parody ands it’ll be a great audience who’s gonna watch it.”

“If I laugh I think other people could have a chance have a chance of laughing, so it was just fun for me,” she added.

Marlon Wayans’ Famous “Wassuuuup” Scene Was Inspired by a Beer Company

Those who were old enough to drink by the time “Scary Movie” came out might remember this Budweiser commercial that came out in 1999. In it, four dudes scream “wasssuuuuup” to each other on the phone just like in the film and say they aren’t doing anything but “watching the game and having a Bud.” Due to the commercial’s wild popularity, it turned into a pop culture sensation, hence making it ripe for material to parody in the film.

Marlon Wayans Felt Like “Scary Movie” Was “Stolen” From The Family Due to “Crappy Deal” With Harvey Weinstein’s Company

In a September 2024 interview on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast, Marlon Wayans revealed that he and the family ended up getting a bad deal with Mirimax, which was the studio ran by convicted sexual assaulter Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob. Due to how badly they were done over, Wayans and his brothers Shawn and Keenan decided to walk away from the franchise entirely after the second film.

“Mirimax did what they did. I always say: they didn’t just rape and molest women. They raped niggas, too. [They] molested us in them deals too. They were terrible people,” Wayans said.

Marlon also alleged that the studio “stole” their idea for the third movie which further soured their relationship.

A Lot of “Scary Movie” Was Improv

In an interview for Entertainment Weekly with the cast and Keenen Wayans in 2017, they revealed that while they filmed what was on the pages of the script, most of the scenes were improv. They also praised Keenen for making them feel comfortable enough to do so and not be so beholden by the script.

“Keenen said ‘I want to shoot what’s on the page, and then I’m going to let you guys do anything you want. At the end of the day, I’m going to use whatever’s the funniest and the best, and I, as the director, will get credit for it.’ I absolutely loved him for that,” said star Shannon Elizabeth.

Added costar Cheri Osteri: “Keenen’s not just editing the film, he’s editing the filmmaking itself. He’s making tweaks just as a tailor does. A tailor doesn’t make the suit — he adjusts. That’s how he viewed directing.”

The post 5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About ‘Scary Movie’ appeared first on The Root.