Marlon Wayans Says He’s Still Furious Over Losing the ‘Scary Movie’ Franchise to the Weinsteins

Marlon Wayans is finally bringing “Scary Movie” back with his family, but the road to getting the franchise back was not easy. In a recent interview with The Daily Beast, the actor and comedian opened up about how hurt he still feels over losing control of the hit comedy series after the second movie.

Wayans explained that the original “Scary Movie” movies were created by him and his brothers Keenen and Shawn Wayans. The first two films became huge hits in the early 2000s and made hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide. But despite that success, the family says they were pushed out of the franchise by producers Harvey and Bob Weinstein when it came time to make the third movie.

According to Wayans, the problems started when the brothers asked for better pay after the success of the first two films. Instead of agreeing, the studio reportedly moved forward without them.

“We got an announcement on New Year’s Eve that they were doing ‘Scary Movie 3,’” Wayans said. “The franchise was stripped from us. And we were just asking for our fair share.”

The actor admitted the experience still bothers him today. He said the Wayans family never even expected to lose the series they created. The franchise continued for years without them, releasing more sequels while the original creators stayed away from the movies they helped turn into a pop culture hit.

Wayans also claimed the family never received what they deserved financially from the first two films. He told The Daily Beast that the brothers believed they were not properly paid royalties from the movies’ profits.

“They absolutely did,” he said when asked if the Weinsteins cheated them financially. “There are auditors that will handle those things.”

Even with all the frustration, Wayans said he eventually decided to move forward instead of holding onto anger forever.

“What they did is between them and God,” he explained. “I can’t hold hate and hurt in my heart if I want to evolve.”

The emotional part of the story became even bigger after Wayans made a promise to his father before he passed away. According to the actor, his father wanted the brothers to work together again because he believed they made their best work as a team.

“My father said, ‘I think you and your brothers should work together again,’” Wayans shared. “Then he whispered, ‘Do it for me.’”

That promise helped bring the family back together for the new “Scary Movie” reboot, which hits theaters on June 5. This time, the Wayans family says they finally have the creative control and partnership they always wanted.

Miramax CEO Jonathan Glickman also told The Daily Beast he wanted to correct the mistakes made in the past. He explained that the studio gave the Wayans family a much stronger deal for the new movie and made sure they had power over the script, casting, and production decisions.

Wayans says the new film is not just another sequel. For him, it feels personal.

“This isn’t ‘Scary Movie 6,’” he said. “This is a reboot.”

The comedian also believes now is the perfect time for audiences to laugh again after difficult years filled with stress and loss.

“We’re here to remind people what it’s like to laugh and feel good,” Wayans said.

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