Anna Faris Discusses the Melania Trump Joke Cut from ‘Scary Movie 6’

Anna Faris has long been recognized as one of Hollywood’s most dedicated comedic talents, with her iconic portrayal of Cindy Campbell in the ‘Scary Movie’ franchise showcasing her commitment. She first introduced Cindy in the original film in 2000 and returned for several sequels, though she skipped the fifth installment in 2013.

Now, over a decade later, Faris is reprising her role, bringing fresh ideas on how her character should evolve.

Directed by Michael Tiddes, the new ‘Scary Movie’ returns the franchise to its roots with the Wayans Brothers, featuring a cast that includes Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Regina Hall, Dave Sheridan, Cheri Oteri, and Chris Elliott.

Embracing its R-rating, this sequel is packed with intentionally provocative humor, poking fun at recent horror films like ‘Smile,’ ‘Longlegs,’ ‘Sinners,’ ‘Get Out,’ ‘The Substance,’ ‘M3GAN,’ and ‘Weapons.’ This boundary-pushing comedy is what the franchise is known for, but it appears that one gag was deemed too controversial for the final cut.

In a conversation with Dexerto to promote the film, Faris shared her efforts to reshape Cindy into a character with a specific political identity. “I was always pushing for Cindy to be classic MAGA rabbit hole,” she explained to Dexerto. “The kind of person that you saw outside of the Walmart during quarantine, that was raising some kind of crazy ass fuss.”

Faris elaborated on a particular scene she envisioned, where a drunken Cindy in her truck looks into the rearview mirror and delivers a line referencing Melania Trump. “There was a moment where I’m getting just wasted, just so drunk, I’m in my truck, of course, and I look into the rearview mirror and I say, ‘Be best, Cindy Campbell. Be best.’ That didn’t make it, but I liked my little winking there,” she recounted.

In an exclusive interview with MovieWeb, Faris described the broader context of the joke, which involved Cindy escalating from a shot glass to a flask to a keg to a full margarita before delivering the punchline. She framed the joke as a nod to Cindy being a “quarantined, lonely person,” reflecting post-COVID conspiracy trends. The layered physical comedy and cultural reference were significant to her, making its absence from the final film all the more striking.

Despite what was cut, audiences have embraced the final product. The film is expected to wrap up its opening weekend with a global total exceeding $105 million, including $55 million from domestic markets and $50.5 million from international theaters.

This domestic figure marks the best opening weekend in the franchise’s history, surpassing the previous record set by the third installment in 2003. Faris has credited the Wayans Brothers’ return as a vital factor in the film’s genuine comeback, stating to MovieWeb that when the original ‘Scary Movie’ debuted in 2000, “it was like a cultural earthquake.”

With ‘Scary Movie’ proving its commercial viability, a full MAGA rabbit hole version of Cindy Campbell could be an intriguing direction for a potential sequel. What are your thoughts? Should the Melania Trump joke have made it into the film, or was the edit the right choice?