Regina Hall is officially bringing back one of the most iconic (and frequently resurrected) characters in horror-comedy history: Brenda Meeks. But when Scary Movie 6 hits theaters in summer 2026, don’t expect Hall’s fan-favorite character to have her life together.
Appearing on The Jennifer Hudson Show this week, Hall, 54, opened up about reprising her outrageous and often short-lived role in the Scary Movie franchise, a character beloved for her razor-sharp one-liners, untimely deaths, and utter inability to survive a horror scenario, despite the audience always rooting for her.
“I’m very excited to see where Brenda will be,” Hall said with a laugh. “I don’t know if I have high hopes for Brenda in life. I don’t know where she made it to. But I’m excited to see where she is.”
Brenda Lives (Again)
For longtime fans of the franchise, the return of Brenda is nothing short of a resurrection. And it’s not the first.
The Scary Movie series, created by the Wayans brothers, first debuted in 2000 and quickly gained a cult following for spoofing horror films like Scream, The Sixth Sense, and The Ring, all while infusing slapstick, satire, and pop culture references. Hall’s Brenda, alongside Anna Faris’s Cindy Campbell, became a standout character thanks to Hall’s fearless comedic timing and over-the-top delivery.
In one particularly unforgettable moment from Scary Movie 3, Brenda is violently killed mid-movie, mourned at a wake, and then somehow returns later, no explanation given. Classic Brenda.
When asked about her hopes for the character in the upcoming sixth installment, Hall didn’t sugarcoat her expectations: “I don’t know if Brenda’s found peace or chaos, but it’s Brenda, so probably chaos.”
A Franchise Reunited
The upcoming Scary Movie 6, slated to hit theaters June 12, 2026, marks the return of not just Hall, but also original co-stars Anna Faris, Shannon Elizabeth, and the Wayans brothers: Marlon, Shawn, and Keenen Ivory Wayans, who directed the first two films.
Directed by Michael Tiddes (A Haunted House), the sixth entry promises a return to the tone, humor, and R-rated ridiculousness of the original films. After a decade-long hiatus, and a fifth film that was notably absent of both Hall and Faris, fans are ready for the franchise to return to its roots.
“We got the gloves off,” Marlon Wayans told People in March. “We’re going R. We’re going to have the same fun and the same kind of tone and Wayans flavor that we gave on the first one.”
In a joint statement to Deadline, Faris and Hall said, “We can’t wait to bring Brenda and Cindy back to life and be reunited with our great friends Keenen, Shawn and Marlon, three men we’d literally die for (in Brenda’s case, again).”
Why Brenda Still Matters
Brenda Meeks holds a special place in pop culture history, and for many LGBTQ+ viewers, her exaggerated, meme-ready reactions have made her something of a queer icon. Whether she’s yelling at a possessed child (“Cindy, this bitch is messin’ up my floor!”) or getting thrown across a theater by an annoyed horror film audience, Brenda embodies camp, chaos, and comedic genius.
A Busy Year for Hall
While Scary Movie 6 is one of Hall’s most anticipated returns, she’s also earning serious acclaim for her work in Paul Thomas Anderson’s upcoming drama One Battle After Another, in theaters September 26. The film, which also stars Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Benicio del Toro, has already generated Oscar buzz, proving that Hall continues to balance comedic legacy with dramatic depth.
She appeared alongside her Battle castmates on The Jennifer Hudson Show, where they all gushed about their excitement for Hall’s return to horror-comedy. Hudson, 44, summed it up best: “We can’t wait! And shout out to Marlon Wayans, he is killing it!”
The Scary Movie franchise is no stranger to reinvention, or resurrection. After five films, countless genre spoofs, and an army of pop culture references, the return of Hall and Faris marks a return to the original magic that made the series a box office hit and a cult classic.
