Paramount and Miramax's 'Scary Movie' revival opened to an estimated $55 million domestically, a franchise-best debut for the sixth installment and the first in over two decades to reunite originators the Wayans brothers with stars Anna Faris and Regina Hall. 'Masters of the Universe' landed in second with $29.3 million, followed closely by A24's 'Backrooms' at $25.9 million and Focus Features' 'Obsession' at $25.6 million. The result makes the weekend a horror-comedy sweep: three of the top four grossers are genre films in the middle of summer blockbuster season. Directed by Michael Tiddes, the R-rated spoof sends up contemporary horror tropes and pop culture.
'Scary Movie' opened to $55M this weekend — its best debut ever across six films — and that's with a two-decade gap since the Wayans brothers were last involved. Anna Faris and Regina Hall are back, and audiences showed up. 'Masters of the Universe' managed $29.3M in second, which Variety is already framing as a stumble. Meanwhile A24's 'Backrooms' did $25.9M and Focus Features' 'Obsession' did $25.6M, making the top four a horror-heavy lineup in peak summer.
Fills a film_tv coverage gap (5 stories in 48h) with specific, checkable box office figures from two tier-one trade sources (THR and Variety) corroborating the same milestone — franchise-best $55M opening, named films, named figures, no duplication of recent coverage.
The $55 million opening validates Paramount's bet on reviving a dormant comedy franchise with its original creative team intact — a model studios have been reluctant to pursue after years of reboots that sidelined legacy talent. It also cements a striking trend: horror and genre films have dominated the 2026 summer box office, with 'Backrooms' already crossing $100 million domestically in six days to become A24's biggest film ever. The 'Masters of the Universe' result, meanwhile, signals continued audience fatigue with nostalgia-driven IP that lacks a clear hook beyond brand recognition.
reviving a 20-year-old spoof franchise with the original cast and writers just did more business than a brand-new masters of the universe movie. studios have been chasing IP for a decade, but this weekend is a receipts-heavy reminder that audiences care who's involved, not just what it's called. the genre sweep is also real — backrooms, obsession, and now scary movie all posting strong numbers in june. summer 2026 belongs to horror and horror-adjacent films.
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