A Scary Movie Reboot Won’t Work Unless These 2 Characters Return

The Scary Movie saga is getting a reboot, but the only way it can work is by bringing two key characters back. The film industry is defined by trends, and one that keeps growing strong, especially in the horror genre, is reboots/legacy sequels. Some of the most popular (and profitable) horror franchises have been rebooted in recent years through legacy sequels, though some more successful than others, and now joining this trend is the comedy horror saga Scary Movie.

Scary Movie kicked off in 2000 with the movie of the same name, directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans. Scary Movie arrived during the peak of slasher movies, a genre that was revived by Wes Craven’s Scream in 1996, and that movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer made even more popular. Despite getting mixed reviews during its release, Scary Movie was a box office success, making way for a series with a total of five movies. Now, a bit over a decade after the release of Scary Movie 5, the Scary Movie saga is being rebooted, but to succeed, it needs to bring back two characters.

The Scary Movie Reboot Needs Cindy & Brenda To Work

Cindy & Brenda Starred In The First Four Scary Movie Films

Every slasher movie needs a Final Girl, even those leaning more towards comedy, and in the Scary Movie saga, it was Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris). Cindy was a mix of Scream’s Sidney Prescott and I Know What You Did Last Summer’s Julie James, even directly mocking some of their most memorable scenes. Despite being the protagonist in the first four Scary Movie films, Cindy’s role in each movie was different as each one was based on different horror movies. Accompanying Cindy through these was Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall), her best friend.

Together, Cindy and Brenda faced serial killers dressed as Scream’s Ghostface, a vengeful ghost, a videotape that killed those who watched it, and an alien invasion. Despite their characters surviving the chaotic events of Scary Movie 4, Faris and Hall didn’t return for Scary Movie 5, and the actors from previous movies who returned played different characters. Scary Movie 5 is the lowest-rated movie from the saga on Rotten Tomatoes with 4%, and while many things went wrong with it, Faris and Hall’s absence played a role in its bad reception.

Cindy and Brenda were the top comedic duo in the Scary Movie saga, and Faris and Hall’s chemistry was undeniable. Cindy and Brenda became the best characters in the Scary Movie films as well as the most recognizable ones, so to successfully reboot the saga, the new Scary Movie film will need to bring Cindy and Brenda back.

What Anna Faris & Regina Hall Have Said About Returning To Scary Movie

There’s Hope For Cindy & Brenda’s Return

An official reason for Anna Faris and Regina Hall not returning for Scary Movie 5 was never given, so there was a lot of speculation around it, going from Faris stepping back due to her pregnancy to Hall not returning due to salary disputes. However, it’s most likely that Scary Movie 5 simply wanted to move away from Cindy and Brenda, given that no characters from the past movies were brought back and returning actors were given new roles. Despite all this, Faris and Hall seem open to returning to the world of Scary Movie.

Speaking to ET in 2022, Faris talked about the great chemistry between her and Hall and said that Hall would also be up for a new Scary Movie film “with the right paycheck”. In response, Hall said she would love a Scary Movie reunion, and that it would be fun to see where the characters are after all these years. While details about the upcoming Scary Movie reboot are unknown, there’s some hope that Faris and Hall will finally return as Cindy and Brenda, more so as they have already said they would be up for it under certain (reasonable) conditions.

Cindy & Brenda’s Return In Scary Movie Would Follow The Legacy Horror Trend

Scary Movie Has To Bring Them Back As Part Of The Ongoing Legacy Sequels Trend

Cindy and Brenda’s return in the upcoming Scary Movie reboot doesn’t just make sense in terms of narrative and potential success, but it’s also fitting with a current horror trend. As mentioned above, legacy sequels have been dominating the horror genre in recent years, and in order to be so, they have to bring at least one character from the original movies back. David Gordon Green’s Halloween did so with Jamie Lee Curtis, Scream (2022) brought its three main characters back, and 2022’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre brought Sally Hardesty back (now played by Olwen Fouéré), and Scary Movie can do the same with Cindy and Brenda.

While the Scary Movie reboot could bring other legacy characters back, such as Shorty (Marlon Wayans) and Ray (Shawn Wayans), Cindy and Brenda are the ones who carried most of the franchise and deserve a fun comeback after being left out of Scary Movie 5, and their return can lead to the reboot’s success.

Source: ET.