'Scary Movie' Soars After Strong Thursday Previews

The sixth Scary Movie opened wide on June 5, bringing the Wayans family back to the franchise for the first time since Scary Movie 2 in 2001. Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans reunite as Cindy Campbell, Brenda Meeks, Ray Wilkins and Shorty Meeks, 26 years after they survived a Ghostface-style killer.

The new entry lampoons modern horror, legacy sequels, reboots and Hollywood's fixation on revivals. Early returns point to a strong debut: Thursday previews totaled $7.7 million, and the film is projected to open domestically between $45 million and $55 million.

That preview haul is nearly on par with Scream 7's $7.8 million from Thursday nights; Scream 7 ultimately earned $214 million worldwide. Given that momentum, Scary Movie appears positioned to surpass the franchise's previous best opening of $48.1 million from Scary Movie 3 (2003) and could challenge the original film's worldwide total of $278 million.

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