Anna Faris on Scary Movie Pay, Anxiety, Return
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- Scary Movie (sixth installment) opened to a franchise-best $55 million, with Marlon Wayans recruiting Anna Faris and Regina Hall back after the Wayans family was pushed off the franchise by Harvey and Bob Weinstein following the second film.
- Faris was paid 65,000 Canadian dollars for the first 'Scary Movie' under a three-picture deal that locked her in at low pay, and she was not invited back for 'Scary Movie 5,' which she attributes to age and money — and says she never received male-comparative compensation.
- After her CBS sitcom 'Mom' ended in 2020 during COVID and following a public divorce, Faris felt she was 'slowly fading out' of Hollywood until Marlon Wayans called her in 2025 to reprise Cindy Campbell.
- Faris revealed she spent six weeks as a child wearing royal purple knitted gloves because she was convinced she would be framed for murder and wanted to avoid leaving fingerprints.
- Keenen Ivory Wayans cast her 'because you didn't know what you were doing' and told her 'there's no vanity in comedy' after sensing her envy toward co-stars like Shannon Elizabeth.
- Faris has three more films out this year beyond 'Scary Movie,' including the screwball comedy 'Spa Weekend' and the dark drama 'Primetime' opposite Robert Pattinson.
Why it matters: Faris's $65,000 Canadian paycheck on a franchise that has now opened to $55 million underscores how cheaply studios can lock in breakout stars via multi-picture deals — and how the Wayans family's removal by the Weinsteins reshaped who profited from the series. Her return also marks a career rebound after a high-profile divorce and the COVID-era end of 'Mom.'
