It was the film nobody wanted to touch, given that the genre was not a proven commodity at the time. Spoof films are the norm these days but back in 2000, it was not. A pair of brothers decided to purchase the script, only given that it spoofed one of their films and they likely wanted to protect it.
Nonetheless, the purchase gave 'Scary Movie' life, and it would turn into a classic, along with a franchise that made nearly $1 billion at the box office.
In addition, it helped to launch several careers, including the career of Anna Faris who was still an unknown commodity at the time. Her audition story is a great one that should inspire others, she didn't even have the funds to get a cab.
We'll look back at that story and some of the behind-the-scenes that went on in the pre-stages of the film.
The Film Almost Didn't Even Get Made
Back in the early 2000s, the concept of a spoof film was way ahead of its time. Of course, nowadays, that genre seems to be over-saturated, however back in 2000, film studios weren't too keen on taking such a project on.
Every studio turned down the script, that was until the Weinsteins took a look. They bought the script only because it spoofed one of their prior films, 'Scream'. Alongside Variety, Bo Zenga recalls receiving the script for the first time and in truth, not thinking much about it.
"I got a phone call from a manager saying that he had a script asked if I would take a look at it. I said, “What’s it about?” and they said, “I’ll tell you the title and you’ll know what it’s about.” I laughed and I said, “So, you just have a title.” And he laughed and said, “The script’s not that bad.” We were turned down by everyone except the Weinsteins. The Weinsteins wanted to buy it because it spoofed their franchise of “Scream.” I think they didn’t want somebody else cannibalizing their movie."
Once the film got the green light, the next part was getting the cast put together. Anna Faris landed the role and as it turns out, she didn't have much money in the bank at the time.
Faris Slept On A Friends Couch
She wasn't the well-known star of today back in the early 2000s. Instead, it was very different, her mom was helping her with the audition tape, holding the huge VHS camera on her shoulder, it was a different time as she revealed with Variety.
"I started the audition with my mom recording me on one of those big, old VHS cameras hoisted on her shoulder. And then with the second scene I went to my neighbors and I was like, “My mom can’t do this audition with me because it’s way too raunchy. Can you film it for me?” So I sent it in, and they asked me to come down."
Once she traveled for the audition, Faris was on a very strict budget. This would lead to sleeping on a friend's couch and not even being able to afford a cab. In addition given the length of the constant auditions, she eventually had to buy new clothes as well.
"I packed a tiny bag and stayed on a friend’s couch in Burbank and bummed rides to go down for these auditions. They kept asking me to stay, so eventually, I had to go buy some new clothes, which at the time it felt like, “I can’t even afford a cab, I certainly can’t afford a hotel.”
Don't feel too bad for the actress as the gig bolstered her career to superstardom and soon enough, she was a mainstay in several films and TV shows.
Nowadays, she has more than enough funds to afford a cab, with over $30 million sitting in the bank.
The Film Was A Huge Success Despite A Small Budget
Given that studios didn't want to make the film, it only makes sense that the budget was a smaller one, at $19 million. Nonetheless, the spoof genre soared at the box office and the film was a huge hit, grossing $278 million.
That was just the start, as the film would release four other films, making a near $1 billion when combining all the other films together.
The film is still making huge money thanks to backend profits, it remains on several streaming platforms including Netflix. We can definitely say that the film started a huge trend in the years that followed.
