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.
| Scooby Doo | |
|---|---|
| Created by | |
| Original work | Scooby-Doo by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears |
| Owners | |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Live-action theatrical films |
|
| Live-action TV films | |
| Live-action spin-off film |
|
| Animated theatrical films |
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| Limited theatrical animated films | |
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 Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (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
editDevelopment 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
editScooby-Doo (2002)
edit
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)
editScooby-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
editScooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins (2009)
editScooby-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)
editScooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster was aired by Cartoon Network on October 16, 2010, with the same director and cast from the previous film. In this film, the Mystery, Inc. gang is heading towards 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
editDaphne & Velma (2018)
editDaphne & 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
edit
Scoob! (2020)
editScooby-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)
editIn 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
editScooby-Doo! in Where's My Mummy? (2005)
editThe film had a limited theatrical release in the United States on May 13, 2005.
Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright (2013)
editThe film had a limited theatrical release in the United States on August 20, 2013.
Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2018)
editThe film was premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre[20] on January 6, 2018.[21]
Cast and crew
editCast
editList indicator(s)
- A dark gray cell indicates the character did not appear in that installment.
- An A indicates a performance through archived or previous work.
- A V indicates a performance through voice-over work.
- A Y indicates an actor or actress voiced a younger version of their character.
| Character | Films | Television films | Spin-off film | Animated film | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scooby-Doo | Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed |
Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins |
Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster |
Daphne & Velma | Scoob! | |
| Mystery Inc. | ||||||
| Scooby Doo | Neil FanningV | Neil FanningV | Frank WelkerV | Frank WelkerV | Frank WelkerV | |
| Danielle. E. Hawkins | ||||||
| J. P. Manoux | Jane Oshita and Philip Albuquerque | |||||
| Luke Youngblood | ||||||
| Shaggy Rogers | Matthew Lillard | Matthew Lillard | Nick Palatas | Will ForteV | ||
| Cascy BeddowY | Iain ArmitageVY | |||||
| Nazanin Afshin-Jam | ||||||
| Fred Jones | Freddie Prinze Jr. | Freddie Prinze Jr | Robbie Amell | Zac EfronV | ||
| Ryan VrbaY | Pierce GagnonVY | |||||
| Daphne Blake | Sarah Michelle Gellar | Sarah Michelle Gellar | Kate Melton | Sarah Jeffery | Amanda SeyfriedV | |
| Emily TennantY | Mckenna GraceVY | |||||
| Velma Dinkley | Linda Cardellini | Linda Cardellini | Hayley Kiyoko | Sarah Gilman | Gina Rodriguez | |
| Lauren KennedyY | Ariana GreenblattVY | |||||
| Ghosts, Monsters & Villains | ||||||
| Scrappy-Doo | Scott InnesV | |||||
| J. P. Manoux | ||||||
| Zarkos | Sam Greco | |||||
| N'Goo Tuana | Steven Grieves | |||||
| Old Man Smithers The Luna Ghost |
Nicholas Hope | |||||
| Dr. Jonathan Jacobo Evil Masked Figure |
Tim Blake Nelson | |||||
| Scott McNeil | ||||||
| Black Knight Ghost | Kevin Durand | Silent cameo | ||||
| Bob PapenbrookV | ||||||
| Pterodactyl Ghost | Dee Bradley Baker | |||||
| Tar Monster | Michael Sorich | |||||
| Red-Eyed Skeleton | Dee Bradley Baker | |||||
| Green-Eyed Skeleton | Wally Wingert | |||||
| 10,000 Volt Ghost | Terrence Stone | |||||
| Captain Cutler's Ghost | James Bamford | Silent cameo | Silent cameo | |||
| Zombie | Christopher R. Sumpton | |||||
| Dee Bradley BakerV | ||||||
| Miner 49er | C. Ernst Harth | |||||
| Principal Deedle Dark Specter |
Shawn Macdonald | |||||
| Dan Riordan | ||||||
| Prudence Prufrock | Leah James | |||||
| Ezekial Gallows | Brian Sutton | |||||
| Al RodrigoV | ||||||
| Wanda Grubwort | Beverly Sanders | |||||
| Hayley Kiyoko | ||||||
| Carol | Vanessa Marano | |||||
| Tobias Bloom | Brookes Forester | |||||
| Dick Dastardly | Jason IsaacsV | |||||
| Simon Cowell Christina Hendricks | ||||||
| Muttley | Billy WestV | |||||
| Don MessickAV | ||||||
| Cerberus | Fred TatascioreV | |||||
| Supporting characters | ||||||
| Mary Jane | Isla Fisher | |||||
| Mr. Emile Mondavarious | Rowan Atkinson | |||||
| Patrick Wisley | Seth Green | |||||
| Heather Jasper-Howe | Alicia Silverstone | |||||
| Jeremiah Wickles | Peter Boyle | |||||
| Ned | Zahf Paroo | |||||
| Vice Principal Grimes | Garry Chalk | |||||
| Otis | C. Ernst Harth | |||||
| Librarian | Lorena Gale | |||||
| Mrs. Rogers | Uncredited actress | Pam CoatsV | ||||
| Thorton "Thorny" Blake V | Ted McGinley | |||||
| Mr. Elmer Uggins | Richard Moll | |||||
| Principal Piper | Arden Myrin | |||||
| Griffin Griffiths | Evan Castelloe | |||||
| Spencer | Adam Faison | |||||
| Nedley Blake | Brian Stepanek | |||||
| Elizabeth Blake | Nadine Ellis | |||||
| Brian / Blue Falcon | Mark WahlbergV | |||||
| Dee Dee Sykes | Kiersey ClemonsV | |||||
| Dynomutt | Ken JeongV | |||||
| Dusty | Vanara TaingV | |||||
| Captain Caveman | Tracy MorganV | |||||
Crew
edit| Crew/detail | Film | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scooby-Doo | Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed |
Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins |
Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster |
Daphne & Velma | Scoob! | Scoob! Holiday Haunt | |
| Director | Raja Gosnell | Brian Levant | Suzi Yoonessi | Tony Cervone | Bill Haller & Michael Kurinsky | ||
| Producer(s) | Charles Roven Richard Suckle |
Brian Gilbert Brian Levant |
Ashley Tisdale Jennifer Tisdale Suzi Yoonessi Amy S. Kim Jaime Burke |
Pam Coats Allison Abbate |
Allison Abbate Tony Cervone Mitchell Ferm | ||
| Writer(s) | Screenplay by James Gunn Story by James Gunn Craig Titley |
James Gunn | Daniel Altiere Steven Altiere |
Kyle Mack Caitlin Meares |
Screenplay by Adam Sztykiel Jack Donaldson Derek Elliott Matt Lieberman Story by Matt Lieberman Eyal Podell Jonathon E. Stewart |
Tony Cervone Paul Dini | |
| Composer(s) | David Newman | Sasha Gordon | Tom Holkenborg | Dara Taylor | |||
| Director of photography | David Eggby | Oliver Wood | Jan Kiesser | Dean Cundey | Meena Singh | — | |
| Editor(s) | Kent Beyda | Eric Osmond | Kristina Davies | Ryan Folsey | Mark Solomon | ||
Reception
editBox office performance
edit| Film | Release date | Box office revenue | Box office ranking | Budget | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | Foreign | Worldwide | All time domestic | All time worldwide | ||||
| Scooby-Doo | June 14, 2002 | $153,294,164 | $122,356,539 | $275,650,703 | #230 | #321 | $84 million | [22] |
| Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed |
March 26, 2004 | $84,216,833 | $97,250,000 | $181,466,833 | #651 | — | $80 million | [23] |
| Scoob | May 15, 2020 | $2,188,425 | $26,400,000 | $28,588,425 | — | — | — | [24] |
| Total | $83,593,643 | $237,510,997 | $244,506,539 | $485,705,961 | $109,000,000 | [25] | ||
Critical and public response
edit| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore[26] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scooby-Doo | 30% (145 reviews)[27] | 35 (31 reviews)[28] | B+ |
| Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed | 22% (118 reviews)[29] | 34 (28 reviews)[30] | A- |
| Scoob! | 48% (146 reviews)[31] | 43 (33 reviews)[32] | — |
Cancelled projects
editIn 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]
References
edit- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 21, 2020). "'Scoob!' To Skip Theaters & Head Into Homes; How Director Tony Cervone Got Animated Pic Across The Finish Line In COVID-19 Climate". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ "Lesbian Secrets of Scooby-Doo's Velma! – Today's News: Our Take | TVGuide.com". www.tvguide.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-16.
- ^ Entertainment Weekly, 636/637 – Jan 25th Issue. Page 38
- ^ Sigesmund, B.J. "The Inside Dope." Newsweek. June 14, 2002. Available at Lexis-Nexis.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Review of Scooby-Doo". Metacritic. CBS. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- ^ "Weekend Box Office preview". 27 January 2006..
- ^ "2004 RAZZIE® Nominees & "Winners"". razzies.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-03.
- ^ "Toon Zone News". Toonzone. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
- ^ "Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins Promises Origin of Scooby Gang". http://Comics Worthreading. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
- ^ Cecchini, Mike (November 28, 2017). "Daphne and Velma: Scooby-Doo Prequel Movie Coming". Den of Geek. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
- ^ "Meet the Stars of the New Live-Action Daphne and Velma Feature". 28 November 2017.
- ^ Wilding, Josh (2021-06-18). "SCOOB! Director Tony Cervone Confirms A Sequel To The 2020 Movie Is In Development (Exclusive)". Comic Book Movie. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
- ^ Burlingame, Russ (December 22, 2021). "Scoob!: Holiday Haunt First Look Revealed in HBO Max Teaser". ComicBook. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ Couch, Aaron (August 2, 2022). "'Batgirl' and 'Scoob!: Holiday Haunt' Scrapped at Warner Bros. Amid Cost-Savings Push". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 2, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
- ^ "Scoob! Sequel Shelved By HBO Max". Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
- ^ "Scoob! Sequel Director Revealed Film Was "Very Close" to Completion Before HBO Max Cancellation". comicbook.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
- ^ "Scoob!: Holiday Haunt Could Still Get Finished Despite Being Shelved by Warner Bros. Discovery". comicbook.com. Archived from the original on August 27, 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-27.
- ^ "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."".
- ^ ‘Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold’ Premiering in LA Saturday | Animation Magazine
- ^ SCOOBY-DOO! and BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD World Premiere at TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood: Saturday, January 6, 2018!
- ^ "Scooby-Doo (2002)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
- ^ "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
- ^ "Scoob!".
- ^ "Franchises — Scooby-Doo". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
- ^ "CinemaScore". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ "Scooby-Doo". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
- ^ "Scooby-Doo (2002): Reviews". Metacritic. CBS. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
- ^ "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
- ^ "Scooby-Doo 2 (2004): Reviews". Metacritic. CBS. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
- ^ "SCOOB!". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ "Scoob!". Metacritic.
- ^ "Matthew Lillard says no Scooby Doo 3". MovieWeb. 2004-08-04. Retrieved 2018-01-01.