Marlon Wayans is finally reclaiming what the Weinsteins stole from him and his brothers decades ago, and the timing couldn’t be more poetic.
The comedy legend just revealed how Harvey and Bob Weinstein systematically cheated him out of royalties on the first two “Scary Movie” films, which generated over $400 million in combined revenue.
“They absolutely did. Absolutely,” Wayans confirmed when asked if the Weinsteins pulled a fast one on him and his siblings.
The brothers created a cultural phenomenon that made the studio massive profits, yet they got stripped of their fair share and their franchise.
Here’s what went down.
After “Scary Movie” grossed $278 million on a $19 million budget and “Scary Movie 2” pulled in $141 million on a $45 million budget, Keenen, Marlon, and Shawn demanded a proper raise for the third installment.
The Weinsteins responded with a lowball offer, and when the Wayanses refused, the studio made “Scary Movie 3” without them.
The brothers found out on New Year’s Eve through a press announcement.
“The franchise was stripped from us. And we were just asking for our fair share,” Wayans said.
Beyond losing creative control, the Weinsteins allegedly used accounting tricks to ensure the Wayans family never saw their rightful royalties from the first two films.
Wayans tells a story that perfectly captures the Weinstein playbook.
Before making “Senseless” in 1998, the studio sent him a copy of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War.”
“I read it and immediately knew who they were,” he explained. “They rape and pillage villages. They were tyrants and had a dynasty.”
He’s not holding onto bitterness, though.
“What they did is between them and God. I don’t applaud that type of behavior, but I can’t hold hate and hurt in my heart if I want to evolve,” Wayans said, per Variety’s recent interview.
The new “Scary Movie,” hitting theaters June 5, represents the Wayans family’s triumphant return to the franchise they created.
When Jonathan Glickman took over as CEO of Miramax in 2024, he immediately reached out to Wayans about reviving the property.
This time, Glickman gave the brothers a deal comparable to what Tarantino and Rodriguez received, finally treating them like the creative powerhouses they are.
The film reunites Marlon, Shawn, and Keenen as writers, producers, and stars, fulfilling a deathbed promise Marlon made to his father.
The irony is sharp. While the Wayans brothers are celebrating their creative resurrection with a franchise that defined their legacy, Harvey Weinstein’s legal empire is crumbling.
On May 15, 2026, just ten days before this story broke, a Manhattan jury deadlocked on rape charges against Weinstein in his third trial, resulting in a mistrial.
It was the second hung jury in a year. The disgraced producer, who faces decades in prison if convicted, continues cycling through retrials while his legacy burns.
According to the New York Times, prosecutors are now weighing whether to pursue another trial.