Scooby Doo has been an iconic brand for 45 years. Since first appearing in 1969, the children’s show has undergone a variety of over-hauls and re-imaginings, with different versions incorporating ‘new’ characters and updated settings. The popularity of the most recent iteration – Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated, which aired on Cartoon Network from 2010-2013 – has evidently set dollar signs flashing in the eyes of Warner Bros. studio executives once again, and a cinematic re-boot is now being planned.
Originally created for Hanna-Barbera Productions by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, the premise of Scooby-Doo sees four teenagers – Daphne Blake, Fred Jones, Velma Dinkley and Norville “Shaggy” Rogers, along with the titular talking Great Dane – solve mysteries that initially appear to involve supernatural creatures and events. Essentially serving to de-bunk conspiracies, the team’s finely honed powers of deduction and trap-setting always lead them to the right conclusion.
In 2002, a live-action feature film was released. Written by James Gunn and Craig Titley, Scooby Doo starred Matthew Lillard, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar and Linda Cardellini, and was directed by Raja Gosnell. It was a box office success, and the inevitable sequel soon followed. Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed was released in 2004, with the same writer, director and cast, but was ultimately a financial disappointment. Any plans to continue the franchise were swiftly dropped.
Now, producers of those two live-action films – Charles Roven and Richard Suckle – are ready to take another run at Scooby Doo, but this time, in an animated feature. The script comes from Matt Lieberman (Dr Doolittle: Tail To The Chief) this time round, and Randall Green will take the director’s chair. No word yet on possible voice casting, but I don’t think anyone would complain if the brilliant Matthew Lillard reprised his role as Shaggy – possibly one of the most iconic cartoon character vocals of all time, whose originator – Casey Kasem – sadly passed away recently. As ever, We Got This Covered will keep you posted.