Most horror movie franchises have to undergo a reboot at some point in time to keep the material fresh and audiences interested. From “Nightmare on Elm Street” to the “Halloween” series, each one has had some kind of status quo upheaval. The “Scary Movie” franchise is about to go through a reset of its own, though on a smaller scale, with the upcoming “Scary Movie 5.”
The original “Scary Movie” came out in 2000 and was immediately a runaway hit. The film’s earnings, made from a modest $19 million budget and grossing over $278 million worldwide, was a source of jubilation for the movie studio. The film starred an up-and-coming Anna Faris in the lead role, which was a spoof of Neve Campbell’s character, Sidney Prescott, from the film “Scream.” Faris became known worldwide for her terrific comic timing, and a sequel with the newly minted star was scheduled to begin filming.
“Scary Movie 2” started a proud franchise tradition of changing Faris’ character, Cindy Campbell, to be different from her Sidney Prescott spoof. This time, she was a parody of Nell Vance, the tortured protagonist played by character actress Lili Tayler in the horror movie “The Haunting.” In addition, the film has scenes that make light of other films including “The Exorcist” and “Friday the 13th.” “Scary Movie 2” was released in 2001 and grossed over $141 million at the box office on a budget of $45 million. Though this was a huge disappointment compared to the blockbuster intake of the first film, it was still enough for film executives to produce a third installment.
That third installment, “Scary Movie 3,” was released in 2003 on a budget of $48 million. This time around, Cindy was a funny take on Rachel Keller, Naomi Watts’ character in “The Ring.” The character was also fleshed out a bit to include some of her family, with Cindy having to take charge of her nephew, though she doesn’t exactly have natural motherly instincts. Another film spoofed in this installment was “Signs,” which starred Mel Gibson. “Scary Movie 3” would earn $220 million worldwide, a huge increase over the second movie, and more than enough to get a fourth film into production shortly thereafter.
Despite the increased box office take from the third film, “Scary Movie 4” took three years to be released, which may be part of the reason why it earned significantly less than “Scary Movie 3.” It topped out at a disappointing $171 million box office take, which was still significantly better than the final tally of “Scary Movie 2.” Faris returned again, the only holdover from all three of the other films. Her Cindy character was this time a new take on Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character Karen Davis from “The Grudge.” In the film, which also starred Charlie Sheen, she is a widow who is lonely and decides to visit an old haunt, only to become the haunted.
Instead of sticking to a couple of films to parody as the previous installments did, “Scary Movie 4” sent up a wide variety of films like “Saw,” “The Village,” “War of the Worlds,” “Final Destination,” “Million Dollar Baby,” and “Brokeback Mountain,” to name just a few. It went on to earn $178 million worldwide on a budget of $45 million.
“Scary Movie 4” was supposed to be the final film of the franchise, and for several years after its release, that appeared to be the case. However, in 2009, a fifth film was announced, though filming did not begin until September 2012. There were various legal and casting reasons for the delays, including the pregnancy of Faris, who declined to appear in the film. Instead, the producers cast Lindsay Lohan, who they thought would draw an audience because of her notorious run-ins with the law. Charlie Sheen also returns, along with Craig Bierko and Ashley Tisdale, whose character will be similar in nature to Cindy, the part played by Faris.
By the time “Scary Movie 5” is released in the spring of 2013, it will be around seven years since the previous film in the series was offered. The big question on everyone’s mind is whether or not fans of the franchise will go to see the latest entry. With big name actors like Lohan and Sheen and a spoof of “Black Swan” and other Oscar-winning fare, studio executives are optimistic. A lot can happen before the film is released, but with the first four films grossing over $818 million in theaters so far, there is a good chance that at least some of those same moviegoers will line up to see “Scary Movie 5.”
There were many great actors who became famous after appearing in western movie roles. Actors…
The following information has been gathered and compiled over a period of years, through personal…
Yes, I could have titled this article "How to Decrease Your Chances of Incontinence." That…
1. National Horse Protection Day: On March 1st, sponsors focus on raising awareness on the…
Cervical dysplasia is a condition that is characterized by abnormal cervical cells which may be…
It was recommended by my child's doctor that he have one children's multi vitamin every…
This website uses cookies.