Paramount-Miramax’s Scary Movie is now tracking for a franchise-opening record of $52.7M, driven by a strong first Friday and previews haul of $23.5M across 3,490 theaters. The result would give the long-running spoof series its biggest launch to date and mark a major comeback for the Wayans Brothers, who have not been back in their own comedy franchise since Scary Movie 2.
The film’s early performance also reflects a wide online conversation that has helped fuel interest. RelishMix reported a combined social reach of 653M across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, a total it described as 2.7x above horror-franchise norms.
Strong online buzz is helping the revival
RelishMix said the campaign benefited from an “aggressive push” on a new TikTok page over the last three weeks, along with heavy activity on Facebook and X. The studio response also drew on an active cast presence, with Marlon Wayans at 23.3M social fans, followed by Regina Hall at 6.7M and Anna Faris at 5.3M.
The chatter has leaned heavily into nostalgia, with viewers responding to the return of Cindy, Brenda and the franchise’s broad, reference-heavy style. Social reactions also show the movie connecting with both older fans and younger viewers who are discovering the spoof formula through the new trailer push.
Masters of the Universe lands in second
Amazon MGM Studios’ Masters of the Universe is expected to open to $31.1M after a Friday and previews total of $12.1M at 3,677 locations. The Mattel and Escape Artists project has been a long road to release, with the film adapting the 1980s toys and animated series for a new theatrical audience.
The response has been much more favorable than many recent franchise revivals. Rotten Tomatoes currently shows Masters of the Universe at 70% with critics and 88% with audiences, giving the movie a strong base heading into the weekend.
Comedy and family titles are leading a busy frame
Scary Movie’s preview number is notable for a comedy and places it among the stronger R-rated franchise starts in recent memory. The film, directed by Michael Tiddes and produced on a $30M budget, stars Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans.
The comedy had originally been expected to open in the $40M-$45M range domestically, but the latest estimates show greater upside. Critics have not embraced the movie, with Rotten Tomatoes at 29%, while audiences are showing more support at 68%.
Masters of the Universe is also showing a healthy split between critics and viewers, with family turnout expected to rise more on Saturday. The film stars Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Jared Leto and Alison Brie, and its preview total sits just below recent 1980s-based family franchise launches such as Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
The weekend market is broad, but competition remains
The overall box office picture is shaping up well above $140M for the top five titles, a stronger total than the same weekend in 2025 and 2024. Even with that momentum, the frame still faces pressure from NBA Finals Game 2, which could soften attendance later in the night.
There is also some room for movement beneath the top two spots, with A24’s Backrooms and Focus Features’ Obsession both posting solid numbers of their own. Backrooms is headed toward a second weekend around $26.5M, while Obsession is holding firmly and approaching a domestic total of $151.3M by Sunday.
For now, though, the biggest story belongs to Scary Movie, which is on pace to turn a dormant comedy brand into the weekend’s clear winner while Masters of the Universe gives the family market a strong second-place launch.
Read more at: deadline.com
