The Japan Times - Latest 'Scary Movie' aims to cancel 'cancel culture,' creators say

The Wayans family, who created the politically incorrect parody almost three decades ago, bring their offering to US cinemas this Friday, and think it is arriving at just the right time.

"I think that it's an important movie right now for the culture, so that we can handle cancel culture in a whole another way," Shawn Wayans told AFP at the Los Angeles red carpet premiere.

Wayans is confident that audiences in 2026 will embrace this new episode of the saga, which takes on issues at the heart of the culture wars, like sexuality, gender and race.

"Just because cancel culture exists, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't have laughter anymore," he said.

"I think it's important for the world to be able to laugh; that's healthy, it's healing, it's medicine."

His sister, actress and comedian Kim Wayans, agreed that as a society we need to have fewer sacred cows and be more ready to laugh at things, even if it offends some people.

"Tonight we're going to cancel cancel culture -- that's what this movie is going to do," she said.

Director Michael Tiddes said the project proved to be a challenge.

"You had to find a balance between the movies we were spoofing, the Wayans brothers' authentic comedy that I was injecting into the film, and also our own story and our own characters, making sure that they had a beginning, a middle and an end," he said.

In addition to Shawn, Kim, Marlon and Damon Wayans, the cast also features Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Jon Abrahams and Cheri Oteri — bringing back Doofy, the parody of the killer from "Scream" (Ghostface) that served as the catalyst for the very first film.

But true to tradition, the new installment was refreshed by satirizing recent horror hits — including "The Substance," "Sinners," "Smile," "Weapons," "Longlegs," "Terrifier" and the series "Wednesday."

The franchise is back in the hands of the Wayans clan after several years of absence, becoming a true family affair.

Not only did several of the brothers write the script, but some of their children and nephews — such as Gregg Wayans — also joined the team.

For the 37-year-old, "Scary Movie" is timeless and has the potential to make different generations laugh, thanks to his uncles' brand of "no-limits" humor.

"I think people want to laugh. They're just waiting for filmmakers like my family to stop abiding by all the rules," he told AFP.

"We need some more rule-breakers, and us getting this franchise back, I think it's the first step," he said. "It's the Wayans antidote."

K.Inoue--JT