Ro-boy-o-boy-o-boy! Finally Scooby-Doo is going live in 2002! The first-ever live-action
adaptation of the beloved and long-running animated series Scooby-Doo will be released in
movie theaters nationwide on June 14. This movie has been in the talks since 1996.
According to Hollywood.com, “Fans will reportedly find out why there is a flower painted
on the side of the Mystery Machine (which reportedly comes equipped with a barbecue grill
and a bean bag chair) and why Fred wears that orange ascot around his neck."
The bigtime spoilers are still under wraps, so let’s concentrate on the people making the
film. Also, at the bottom of the article, I've asked a couple of questions -- looking
forward to hearing your responses!
Raja Gosnell (Big Momma's House, Never Been Kissed) directs the sci-fi comedy, which
catches up with Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang as they meddle their way into a bona
fide mystery that leads them into murky and possibly supernatural waters.
Though Scooby’s whereabouts are currently unknown, his clever crime-solving cohorts are,
as always, on the case. The gang includes Freddie Prinze Jr. (Summer Catch) as ringleader
Fred; Sarah Michelle Gellar (Cruel Intentions, TV’s Buffy The Vampire Slayer) as Daphne;
Matthew Lillard (13 Ghosts, Scream) as Shaggy and Linda Cardellini (TV’s Freaks and Geeks)
as Velma. The film also features international comedy star Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) as
Mondavarious, the mysterious owner of Spooky Island and procurer of the Mystery Inc.
group’s services.
Based on the classic Hanna-Barbera characters, Scooby-Doo, a Warner Bros. Pictures
presentation of an Atlas Entertainment production of a Raja Gosnell film, is produced by
Charles Roven (Three Kings, City Of Angels) from a screenplay written by James Gunn (The
Specials). Richard Suckle, Robert Engelman (Little Nicky), Kelley Smith-Wait (Three
Kings), Andrew Mason (Red Planet) and William Hanna and Joseph Barbera are the executive
producers.
Freddie Prinze Jr. first came to worldwide attention with his starring turn in the hit
thriller I Know What You Did Last Summer, and he reprised his role in the sequel I Still
Know What You Did Last Summer. His previous starring roles include the romantic comedy
Head Over Heels and the Miramax releases Boys and Girls, Down to You and She's All That,
for which Prinze and his co-star Rachel Leigh Cook earned a 1999 MTV Movie Award
nomination for Best On-Screen Duo. Prinze made his screen debut in To Gillian on Her 37th
Birthday, followed by a role in the critically acclaimed ensemble drama The House of
Yes.
Sarah Michelle Gellar is known to television audiences worldwide as the eponymous star of
The WB television network’s hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A working actor since she
was six years old, Gellar was discovered at the age of four while eating in a restaurant.
She went on to play the role of Kendall Hart Lang on ABC’s long-running daytime drama All
My Children from 1993-95. Gellar has also guest-starred on HBOís hit series Sex and the
City, the Buffy spin-off series Angel, and Fox’s animated TV series King of the Hill.
Fans love to talk about Sarah on the newsgroup alt.fan.sarah-m-gellar.
Gellar’s feature film credits include the blockbuster horror films I Know What You Did
Last Summer and Scream 2, as well as the romantic drama Cruel Intentions. She also voiced
a role in the Disney animated feature Hercules. Her upcoming film projects include Harvard
Man with Eric Stoltz and Joey Lauren Adams and The It Girl.
Matthew Lillard made a major impression on audiences with his role as the manic killer
Stuart in the 1996 mega-hit Scream. Previously, Lillard appeared opposite Kathleen Turner
in the horror comedy Serial Mom. He went on to play roles in the critically lauded film
Without Limits, the comedy-drama SLC Punk, as well as Spanish Judges and Wing Commander.
Lillard also stars in the romantic comedy Summer Catch and the chilling remake of the
classic 1960 horror film 13 Ghosts, with F. Murray Abraham.
Linda Cardellini is best known for her starring role in the widely acclaimed TV series
Freaks and Geeks. She has appeared on numerous television shows, including starring roles
in Bone Chillers and Guys Like Us; recurring roles on Pacific Palisades and Boy Meets
World; and guest spots on 3rd Rock from the Sun, Step by Step and Promised Land. She has
also been seen in the telefilms Dying to Live and The Lot. Cardellini’s work in feature
films include roles in Legally Blonde with Reese Witherspoon, Dee Snider's StrangeLand and
Dead Man on Campus. Cardellini will next be seen onscreen in Sins of the Father.
Rowan Atkinson first appeared onscreen in 1977, in Monty Python Meets Beyond the Fringe,
which he followed up with a three-year stint on the British television comedy Not the Nine
O’Clock News. Atkinson went on to star in the celebrated Blackadder series, including
Blackadder: The Cavalier Years, Blackadder’s Christmas Carol, Blackadder Goes Forth and
most recently, Blackadder Back and Forth. In 1988, Atkinson starred in his own comedy
special, Live! From London, with the Absolutely Fabulous team of Dawn French and Jennifer
Saunders. A second special, Rowan Atkinson Live, was released in 1992. He went on to play
Mr. Bean on the television series of the same name, and starred in the international hit
feature film Bean in 1997. Atkinson’s additional film roles include his memorable turn in
Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Hot Shots! Part Deux. He also provided the voice of Zazu
in Disney’s animated blockbuster The Lion King. He will next be seen in Rat Race.
So who do you think is going to enjoy this film; the die-hard Scooby crowd from years ago,
new Scooby fans pre-the-old-cartoon-days or both? Are YOU planning on seeing this movie?
Why or why not? Leave me your thoughts at newsguy.writers.scificapsule!
"Zoinks! Scooby Doo, Where Are You?"
