Scooby-Doo in film explained

Scooby Doo
Italic Title:no
Origin:Scooby-Doo by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears
Otherlabel1:Live-action theatrical films
Otherlabel2:Live-action TV films
Otherlabel3:Live-action spin-off film
Otherlabel4:Animated theatrical films
Otherlabel5:Limited theatrical animated films

The animated series Scooby-Doo has been adapted and appeared in five feature-length films since its debut in 1969, not including the series of animated direct-to-video films that have been in production since 1998, or the four animated television films produced from 1987 to 1994.

Toward the end of the 1990s, Warner Bros. and producer Charles Roven began producing a series of feature live-action films starring Scooby-Doo, beginning with the 2002 film Scooby-Doo, directed by Raja Gosnell. Gosnell also directed the 2004 sequel (2004). A reboot television film, Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins (2009), was released by Cartoon Network. Brian Levant directed the film and its sequel, Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster (2010). A direct-to-video film entitled Daphne & Velma, with no connection to previous Scooby-Doo films, was released in 2018. An animated film titled Scoob! was scheduled for release in theaters on May 15, 2020, but was released direct-to-video on digital platforms due to COVID-19 closing most theaters in the United States and Canada.[1] The film subsequently received a secondary theatrical release in the United States beginning on May 21, 2021 in selected markets. In December 2021, HBO Max confirmed the development of a further prequel film, Scoob! Holiday Haunt, the release of which was cancelled by Warner Bros. Discovery in August 2022, citing cost-cutting measures and a refocus on theatrical films rather than creating projects for streaming, despite the film already being completed.

Background

Development for a live-action treatment of Scooby-Doo began in 1994 by producer Charles Roven. Originally the idea was to make a film with a much darker tone, essentially poking fun at the original cartoon series, much like The Brady Bunch Movie and was set for a PG-13 rating. Shaggy was set to be a stoner, Velma and Daphne had a side relationship,[2] and there were many marijuana references.[3]

Several rumors about these aspects in the original cartoon series were passed around by fans of Scooby-Doo, and were to be incorporated into the live action film.[4]

Live-action theatrical films

Scooby-Doo (2002)

See main article: Scooby-Doo (film). Scooby-Doo was released on June 14, 2002. Directed by Raja Gosnell, the film starred Freddie Prinze Jr., as Fred, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, and Linda Cardellini as Velma. Scooby-Doo was created on-screen by computer-generated special effects and his voice was provided by Neil Fanning.

The plot shows the Mystery, Inc. gang coming back together after two years of separation, to investigate an amusement park called "Spooky Island", where they deal with real demons.

The film was a financially successful release, with a domestic box office gross of over $130 million.[5] However, the film was not well reviewed, but was a great hit with young audiences and fans of the show.[6]

Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)

See main article: Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed was released on March 26, 2004, with the same cast and director from the first film.

The plot shows the Mystery Inc. investigating the plans of a masked villain who wants to control the city of Coolsville using a machine to create monsters. Unlike the first film, Scooby-Doo 2 featured several of the monsters from the television series, including the Black Knight, the 10,000-Volt Ghost, the Pterodactyl Ghost, the Miner 49er, Captain Cutler and the Tar Monster.

The film had a poor performance at the box office, grossing $80 million at the U.S.[7] Scooby-Doo 2 was nominated for a Razzie Award for "Worst Remake or Sequel".[8]

Live-action TV films

Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins (2009)

See main article: Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins. Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins was aired by Cartoon Network on September 13, 2009, the 40th anniversary of Scooby-Doo. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 22.[9] Directed by Brian Levant, the plot is an origin story for the Mystery, Inc. gang, portraying the beginning of everything: how the gang met, their first mystery, their lives at school and how they got the Mystery Machine.[10]

Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster (2010)

See main article: Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster. Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster was aired by Cartoon Networkon October 16, 2010, with the same director and cast from the previous film. In this film, the Mystery, Inc. gang is headingtowards a beach club owned by Daphne's uncle, for temporary summer jobs. While involved with their tasks, they stumble on a new mystery.

Live-action direct-to-video film

Daphne & Velma (2018)

Daphne & Velma was released on DVD on May 22, 2018. Directed by Suzi Yoonessi, it features the title characters Daphne Blake and Velma Dinkley.[11] The plot shows Daphne and Velma investigating mysteries in their high school. Sarah Jeffery and Sarah Gilman portray Daphne and Velma, respectively.[12]

Animated theatrical films

Scoob! (2020)

See main article: Scoob!. Scooby-Doo is the hero of his own story in Scoob!, the first full-length, animated film, which reveals how he and his best friend Shaggy became two of the world's most beloved crime busters. The story takes us back to where it all began, when a young Scooby and Shaggy first meet, and team up with Velma, Daphne, and Fred to launch Mystery Incorporated.

Scoob! Holiday Haunt (unreleased)

In June 2021, Cervone said that a sequel to Scoob! was in development.[13] On December 22, 2021, HBO Max released a sizzle reel featuring a first look at a Christmas-themed prequel film, titled Scoob! Holiday Haunt, which was to be released on the service in December 2022. The film takes place in the gang's youth, with Welker and the actors who portrayed the younger versions reprising their roles while Cervone returned to write the film with Paul Dini as well to produce the project. The film was co-directed by Bill Haller and Michael Kurinsky, and had a production budget of $40 million.[14] On August 2, 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery canceled its release, citing cost-cutting measures and a refocus on theatrical films rather than creating projects for streaming.[15] [16] Tony Cervone would go on to say on the same day that the project was "practically finished".[17] Later that month, it was reported that the film would still be finished, even though Warner Bros. Discovery had no present plans to release it.[18] The film was finally finished on November 4, 2022.[19]

Limited theatrical animated films

Scooby-Doo! in Where's My Mummy? (2005)

See main article: Scooby-Doo! in Where's My Mummy?. The film had a limited theatrical release in the United States on May 13, 2005.

Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright (2013)

See main article: Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright. The film had a limited theatrical release in the United States on August 20, 2013.

Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2018)

The film was premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre[20] on January 6, 2018.[21]

Cast and crew

Cast

See also: List of Scooby-Doo characters.

CharacterFilmsTelevision filmsSpin-off filmAnimated film
Scooby-DooScooby-Doo 2:
Monsters Unleashed
Scooby-Doo!
The Mystery Begins
Scooby-Doo!
Curse of the Lake Monster
Daphne & VelmaScoob!
Mystery Inc.
Scooby DooNeil FanningNeil FanningFrank WelkerFrank WelkerFrank Welker
Danielle. E. Hawkins
J. P. ManouxJane Oshita and Philip Albuquerque
Luke Youngblood
Shaggy RogersMatthew LillardMatthew LillardNick PalatasWill Forte
Cascy BeddowIain Armitage
Nazanin Afshin-Jam
Fred JonesFreddie Prinze Jr.Freddie Prinze JrRobbie AmellZac Efron
Ryan VrbaPierce Gagnon
Daphne BlakeSarah Michelle GellarSarah Michelle GellarKate MeltonSarah JefferyAmanda Seyfried
Emily TennantMckenna Grace
Velma DinkleyLinda CardelliniLinda CardelliniHayley KiyokoSarah GilmanGina Rodriguez
Lauren KennedyAriana Greenblatt
Ghosts, Monsters & Villains
Scrappy-DooScott Innes
J. P. Manoux
ZarkosSam Greco
N'Goo TuanaSteven Grieves
Old Man Smithers
Nicholas Hope
Dr. Jonathan Jacobo
Tim Blake Nelson
Scott McNeil
Black Knight GhostKevin Durandrowspan="2"
Bob Papenbrook
Pterodactyl GhostDee Bradley Baker
Tar MonsterMichael Sorich
Red-Eyed SkeletonDee Bradley Baker
Green-Eyed SkeletonWally Wingert
10,000 Volt GhostTerrence Stone
Captain Cutler's GhostJames Bamford
ZombieChristopher R. Sumpton
Dee Bradley Baker
Miner 49erC. Ernst Harth
Principal Deedle
Shawn Macdonald
Dan Riordan
Prudence PrufrockLeah James
Ezekial GallowsBrian Sutton
Al Rodrigo
Wanda GrubwortBeverly Sanders
Hayley Kiyoko
CarolVanessa Marano
Tobias BloomBrookes Forester
Dick DastardlyJason Isaacs
Simon Cowell
Christina Hendricks
MuttleyBilly West
CerberusFred Tatasciore
Supporting characters
Mary JaneIsla Fisher
Mr. Emile MondavariousRowan Atkinson
Patrick WisleySeth Green
Heather Jasper-HoweAlicia Silverstone
Jeremiah WicklesPeter Boyle
NedZahf Paroo
Vice Principal GrimesGarry Chalk
OtisC. Ernst Harth
LibrarianLorena Gale
Mrs. RogersPam Coats
Thorton "Thorny" Blake VTed McGinley
Mr. Elmer UgginsRichard Moll
Principal PiperArden Myrin
Griffin GriffithsEvan Castelloe
SpencerAdam Faison
Nedley BlakeBrian Stepanek
Elizabeth BlakeNadine Ellis
Brian / Blue FalconMark Wahlberg
Dee Dee SykesKiersey Clemons
DynomuttKen Jeong
DustyVanara Taing
Captain CavemanTracy Morgan

Crew

Crew/detailFilm
Scooby-DooScooby-Doo 2:
Monsters Unleashed
Scooby-Doo!
The Mystery Begins
Scooby-Doo!
Curse of the Lake Monster
Daphne & VelmaScoob!Scoob!
Holiday Haunt
DirectorRaja GosnellBrian LevantSuzi YoonessiTony CervoneBill Haller & Michael Kurinsky
Producer(s)Charles Roven
Richard Suckle
Brian Gilbert
Brian Levant
Ashley Tisdale
Jennifer Tisdale
Suzi Yoonessi
Amy S. Kim
Jaime Burke
Allison Abbate
Tony Cervone
Mitchell Ferm
Writer(s)
James Gunn

James Gunn
Craig Titley
James GunnDaniel Altiere
Steven Altiere
Kyle Mack
Caitlin Meares

Adam Sztykiel
Jack Donaldson
Derek Elliott
Matt Lieberman

Matt Lieberman
Eyal Podell
Jonathon E. Stewart
Tony Cervone
Paul Dini
Composer(s)David NewmanSasha GordonTom HolkenborgDara Taylor
Director of photographyDavid EggbyJan Kiesser Dean CundeyMeena Singhcolspan="2"
Editor(s)Kent BeydaEric OsmondKristina DaviesRyan FolseyMark Solomon

Reception

Box office performance

FilmRelease dateBox office revenueBox office rankingBudgetReference
DomesticForeignWorldwideAll time domesticAll time worldwide
Scooby-DooJune 14, 2002$153,294,164$122,356,539$275,650,703
  1. 230
  1. 321
$84 million[22]
Scooby-Doo 2:
Monsters Unleashed
March 26, 2004$84,216,833$97,250,000$181,466,833
  1. 651
$80 million[23]
ScoobMay 15, 2020 $2,188,425$26,400,000$28,588,425[24]
Total$$$$$[25]

Critical and public response

FilmRotten TomatoesMetacriticCinemaScore[26]
Scooby-Doo30% (145 reviews)[27] 35 (31 reviews)[28] B+
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed22% (118 reviews)[29] 34 (28 reviews)[30] A-
Scoob!48% (146 reviews)[31] 43 (33 reviews)[32]

Cancelled projects

In October 2002, during the filming of Scooby-Doo 2, Warner Bros. gave the green light for production of a third film. Dan Forman and Paul Foley were hired to write the script for Scooby-Doo 3. In August 2004, Matthew Lillard said in an interview that the third Scooby-Doo film was cancelled. "There will be no Scooby 3," Lillard said. "The second one didn't do as well as it was expected to do, and I completely hold that to Warner Brothers' fault. I think Warner Brothers made a mistake releasing it at the time they did March 2004. I think the movie's much better than the first movie, and I honestly thought it was going to do ridiculously good box office. But we had a bad timeslot. We had 13 movies open up in two weeks after we opened up. I mean, it did well, but it didn't do great, and it needed to do great", added, noting that the studio was quite disappointed with the result, which prevented the production of a third film.[33]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 'Scoob!' To Skip Theaters & Head Into Homes; How Director Tony Cervone Got Animated Pic Across The Finish Line In COVID-19 Climate. Deadline Hollywood. Anthony. D'Alessandro. April 21, 2020. April 21, 2020.
  2. Web site: Lesbian Secrets of Scooby-Doo's Velma! – Today's News: Our Take TVGuide.com . www.tvguide.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110616205027/http://www.tvguide.com/news/Lesbian-Secrets-Scooby-41340.aspx . 2011-06-16.
  3. Entertainment Weekly, 636/637 – Jan 25th Issue. Page 38
  4. Sigesmund, B.J. "The Inside Dope." Newsweek. June 14, 2002. Available at Lexis-Nexis.
  5. Chris Suellentrop. (March 26, 2004). "Hey Dog! How do you do that Voodoo That You Do So Well?".Slate.com. Retrieved on June 9, 2006.
  6. Web site: Review of Scooby-Doo. CBS. Metacritic. July 12, 2022.
  7. Web site: 27 January 2006 . Weekend Box Office preview. .
  8. Web site: 2004 RAZZIE® Nominees & "Winners". razzies.com. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130303195751/http://www.razzies.com/forum/2004-razzie-nominees-winners_topic5533.html. 2013-03-03.
  9. Web site: Toon Zone News. Toonzone. January 19, 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120719021814/http://www.toonzone.net/daily-news/#.UPsP6HLK7cc. July 19, 2012.
  10. Web site: Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins Promises Origin of Scooby Gang. http://Comics Worthreading. January 19, 2013.
  11. Web site: Daphne and Velma: Scooby-Doo Prequel Movie Coming. Den of Geek. Cecchini. Mike. November 28, 2017. July 15, 2019.
  12. Web site: Meet the Stars of the New Live-Action Daphne and Velma Feature. 28 November 2017.
  13. Web site: Wilding . Josh . 2021-06-18 . SCOOB! Director Tony Cervone Confirms A Sequel To The 2020 Movie Is In Development (Exclusive) . 2021-06-18 . Comic Book Movie . May 16, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220516165459/https://comicbookmovie.com/animated_features/scooby-doo/scoob-director-tony-cervone-confirms-a-sequel-to-the-2020-movie-is-in-development-exclusive-a185776 . live .
  14. Web site: Burlingame . Russ . Scoob!: Holiday Haunt First Look Revealed in HBO Max Teaser . ComicBook . February 18, 2022 . December 22, 2021 . May 30, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530183425/https://comicbook.com/movies/news/scoob-holiday-haunt-first-look-revealed-in-hbo-max-teaser/ . live .
  15. Web site: Couch. Aaron. 'Batgirl' and 'Scoob!: Holiday Haunt' Scrapped at Warner Bros. Amid Cost-Savings Push. The Hollywood Reporter. August 2, 2022. August 2, 2022. August 2, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220802220032/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/batgirl-shelved-at-warner-bros-hbo-max-1235191371/. live.
  16. Web site: Scoob! Sequel Shelved By HBO Max . August 2, 2022 . August 3, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220803075008/https://comicbook.com/movies/news/scoob-sequel-warner-bros-discovery-shelved-hbo-max/ . live .
  17. Web site: Scoob! Sequel Director Revealed Film Was "Very Close" to Completion Before HBO Max Cancellation . 2022-08-03 . comicbook.com . August 3, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220803110102/https://comicbook.com/movies/amp/news/scoob-sequel-production-complete-movie-cancelled-hbo-max/ . live .
  18. Web site: Scoob!: Holiday Haunt Could Still Get Finished Despite Being Shelved by Warner Bros. Discovery . 2022-08-27 . comicbook.com . August 27, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220827000424/https://comicbook.com/movies/news/scoob-holiday-haunt-could-still-get-finished-despite-being-shelved-by-warner-bros-discovery/ . live .
  19. Web site: Tony Cervone on Instagram: "Well, we finished this thing today. A bittersweet conclusion for sure. I really hope you get a chance to see it somehow. It's a good one. I want to congratulate the directors @mkurinsky and @bill.haller for doing an outstanding job. They understand the characters, comedy and spooky thrills so well. Thanks to @dinipaul for writing it with me. Thanks to @meferm for producing it with me. Thanks to our head of story @duseybear and our Director of Layout @swc90046, and to @terryhan_ for keeping me somewhat on time. And thank you to our wonderful, wonderful gang - @iain, @mckennagraceful, @ariana_greenblatt, Pierce Gagnon and the one and only Frank Welker. Every minute with you was a pleasure." .
  20. http://www.animationmagazine.net/home-entertainment/scooby-doo-batman-the-brave-and-the-bold-premiering-in-la-saturday/ ‘Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold’ Premiering in LA Saturday | Animation Magazine
  21. https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/scooby-doo-and-batman-the-brave-and-the-bold-world-premiere-at-tcl-chinese-theater-in-hollywood-saturday-january-6-2018-xela/ SCOOBY-DOO! and BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD World Premiere at TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood: Saturday, January 6, 2018!
  22. Web site: Scooby-Doo (2002). Box Office Mojo. January 18, 2013.
  23. Web site: Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004). Box Office Mojo. January 18, 2013.
  24. Web site: Scoob!.
  25. Web site: Franchises — Scooby-Doo . Box Office Mojo. September 12, 2012.
  26. Web site: CinemaScore . . April 15, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220413083139/https://www.cinemascore.com/ . April 13, 2022 . live .
  27. Web site: Scooby-Doo. Flixster. Rotten Tomatoes. December 8, 2019.
  28. Web site: Scooby-Doo (2002): Reviews. CBS. Metacritic. January 18, 2013.
  29. Web site: Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. Flixster. Rotten Tomatoes. January 18, 2013.
  30. Web site: Scooby-Doo 2 (2004): Reviews. CBS. Metacritic. December 8, 2019.
  31. Web site: SCOOB!. Rotten Tomatoes.
  32. Web site: Scoob!. Metacritic.
  33. News: Matthew Lillard says no Scooby Doo 3. 2004-08-04. MovieWeb. 2018-01-01. en-US.