Anna Faris Would Come Back To Scary Movie If This Co-Star Came With Her

Many horror fans probably know that one of the working titles for Wes Craven's 1996 slasher revival "Scream" was "Scary Movie." "Scream," if you'll recall, was a metanarrative horror film, a slasher populated by teenage characters who were movie-savvy enough to recognize they were, themselves, in a slasher situation. The killer had seen "Halloween" and "Friday the 13th," and arranged his murders accordingly. As a character says late in the film, "Movies don't create killers. Movies make killers creative." 

"Scream" almost immediately entrenched itself in the pop consciousness, tapping into 1990s self-awareness and reviving the moribund slasher genre for the irony generation. It also wasn't long before the culture became self-aware of its own self-awareness, and thought to dissect the very act of dissection. The ironic mockery of irony was the dominant ethos of the late 1990s. Listen to Harvey Danger's "Flagpole Sitta" sometime for another example of the attitude at play. 

And, of course, watch Keenan Ivory Wayans' "Scary Movie," a slapstick spoof of "Scream" and other popular horror movies of the day. "Scary Movie" was a beat-for-beat remake of "Scream," but with dirty, gross-out jokes in place of dialogue. In the film, Anna Faris played Cindy Campbell, a name mashup of Neve Campbell (the star of "Scream") and Sidney Prescott (the name of Campbell's character in "Scream"). "Scary Movie" was Faris' breakout film role, and the public needed to contend with her comedic genius. Faris would also appear in "Scary Movies" 2 through 4.

Faris recently spoke with People Magazine about her varied career, and the actress was asked if she would consider returning to the series that brought her to fame. Faris said that she absolutely would, but only under two conditions: she needed to get a hefty paycheck (natch), and she needed to star opposite Regina Hall, who played Brenda in the first four "Scary Movies." Faris said their chemistry was too good to not recreate.

And know that Faris wants a paycheck more than anything. One can appreciate that Faris is, after all, a working actress, and feels no need to be precious about the "Scary Movie" series. If the studio is willing to pay, then she'll show up and deliver a crackerjack comedic performance. But, she also realized that working opposite Regina Hall was a pleasant experience, and that the two were able to make each other laugh. When asked what would be needed to make her return for "Scary Movie 6," Faris quickly said: 

"Well, money! [But also] I would love to work with Regina again. I just love her so much. [...] We would make each other giggle all day long. Regina Hall would be my answer. And money. But mostly all Regina!"

Hall, like Faris, experienced a massive career upswing after her early appearances in the "Scary Movie" movies, appearing in dozens of high-profile Hollywood genre films, as well as in many soulful indies; in 2022 alone, hall appeared in the horror film "Master" and the evangelical drama "Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul." Hall worked her way through multiple legal TV shows, becoming a regular cast member of "Ally McBeal" in its fifth season. This was in addition to "Law & Order: Los Angeles," and "NYPD Blue." Her film credits are vast and too numerous to list here. 

Faris, meanwhile, starred in many mainstream comedies, and led the TV series "Mom." She also led the acclaimed comedies "The House Bunny" and "Smiley Face," the latter of which is perhaps the best stoner movie ever made. She played a darker version of herself in "Keanu," and voiced Jeanette in the "Alvin and the Chipmunks" movies. Most recently, Faris appeared in "My Spy: The Eternal City." Getting these two comedic powerhouses together again would lift a new "Scary Movie" into the sky. 

The "Scary Movie" movies aren't necessarily well-respected by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first film only has a 51% approval rating. "Scary Movie 5" stands at a mere 5%. Faris, however, looks back on the series with fondness, knowing that she learned more about movies and about comedy than she would have been able to working on other kinds of features. She admitted: 

"I love that franchise. It was like my bootcamp, my beginnings. [...] If there is a high school comparison for my growth experience, those four movies played an important role in my life in terms of teaching me how to use props, teaching me how to fall, how to get hit in the head — how to hold Chiclets in my mouth and then spit them out with blood at a convenient time for the camera."

These are valuable comedic skills, and not everyone can do them convincingly. Faris was already a talented comedic actress, but it sounds like the "Scary Movie" movies helped her sharpen her skills to a deadly point. Now Faris, 47, can stab the audience in the eye with her honed, bronzed comedic points. She can shove laughs right through the back of your skull, penetrating your brain with her spear, like Achilles in "The Iliad." I admit, this has become a weird analogy. 

Were the "Scary Movie" movies funny? That depends on the age at which you saw them, your fondness of gross-out jokes, and how much tetrahydrocannabinol is in your system at the time of viewing. One can be assured, though, that if Faris and Hall appear in another "Scary Movie," they will at least be having a good time. And if "Scream" is continuing to churn out useless sequels, there will always be a place for "Scary Movie" to pull its pants down.