By: Katey Rich

Anyone who’s been hotly anticipating Scary Movie 5 has probably long since run out of patience… but let’s face it, no one is actually hotly anticipating Scary Movie 5. The horror parody franchise that seemed thin on ideas even in the first installment spent 6 years running out of steam, and then another 6 years promising a fifth installment, for a while with no real sign of it ever happening. But the movie started showing signs of life earlier this year, with Soul Men‘s Malcolm Lee hired to direct, and a whole new bunch of celebrity cameos rumored.

There’s still nothing super official, but the latest word from E! is that Lindsay Lohan has signed a deal to appear in the movie, and that Charlie Sheen will also be back, despite the fact that he was killed off in Scary Movie 4. They also say that the film is set for a January 11 release date next year, but even by the standards of cheapie horror, that’s an unrealistically short window to shoot, edit and release an entire movie. And despite the fact that Anna Faris has said she would return for a fifth installment, E! says she’s out– probably a smart move for an immensely talented actress who’s spent years trying to prove she’s more than just the dippy girl from Scary Movie.

The fact that we don’t really have to see Scary Movie 5 unless we really want to ought to make it difficult to hate this idea– but the notion of giving Lohan and Sheen an even more prominent position in pop culture than they already have is more than gross enough. Usually when a franchise lies dormant for six years it’s a sign that the glory days are past it. Instead, we’re somehow headed into an era where reviving a dead franchise isn’t a bad idea– it’s a challenge.

Source: Cinema Blend