Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich have given their views on the Scary Movie franchise, which parodies the successful Scream movie series. Lillard and Ulrich first sH๏τ to worldwide prominence for their roles as best friends and serial killers Stu Macher and Billy Loomis, the original Ghostface killers in Wes Craven’s meta-slasher masterpiece Scream. The movie, and its sequels, were parodied heavily in 2000’s Scary Movie, the first installment in the Scary Movie franchise, which has, to date, spanned five movies and grossed a combined total of almost $900 million.
2026 will mark the return of both franchises, with Scream 7 being the third installment since the series was “relaunched” following Scream 4 in 2011, and Scary Movie 6 will be the first offering from the comedy franchise since Scary Movie 5 in 2013. During a MEGACON Orlando panel, at which ScreenRant was present, Ulrich and Lillard gave their views on the Scary Movie films, describing watching them as being similar to attending the Christmas party of an ex-wife. Check out their comments below:
Skeet Ulrich: I kind of watched it once.
Matthew Lillard: That’s like going over to your ex-wife’s Christmas party. “Oh, you’re making fun of me. That’s awesome.”
What Lillard & Ulrich’s Comments Mean For Scary Movie & Scream’s Connections
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While Lillard and Ulrich’s comments echo many horror fans’ views on the Scary Movie films, the fact is that they are parodies, and, as long as the Scream franchise – on which the original Scary Movie is based – exists, the movies will find a target to parody. The fact that both franchises have had a modern reboot, means there could be plenty more material to source. Scream 6 took steps to mix up the formula, moving the events out of Woodsboro, and having no Sidney, and these could be points of parody for Scary Movie 6‘s story too.
The Scream movies parody traditional horror clichés, so the fact that they themselves are being parodied feels like a nicely meta nod.
It’s important to note that the Scream movies are not the only classic horror projects to have gotten the parody treatment from the franchise. Everything from The Exorcist, Saw, Friday the 13th, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer has been on the receiving end of jokes in Scary Movie films, and this is a trend that will be set to continue with the latest movie. Of course, Scream provides the focal point, and much of the story, but there are plenty more elements that the movies choose to poke fun at too.
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It’s stretching a point to say that the Scary Movie franchise ran out of steam after a couple of installments, but the horror genre does contain its own set of clichés that make it ripe for parody. The Scream movies parody traditional horror clichés, so the fact that they themselves are being parodied feels like a fitting meta nod. There are many recent horror movies that could be parodied in the upcoming Scary Movie reboot, but there is a good chance that Scream 5 and 6 will play a prominent role in the plot of Scary Movie 6.
