10 Wild Facts About “Scooby-Doo” Movies We Bet You Didn’t Know

Scooby-Doo is still considered one of the most popular cartoon series since its creation in 1969. The show took a few breaks after that, but eventually made a comeback in the 2000s that had all the Scooby fans running to theaters. However, the most interesting things were left behind the scenes. So let’s take a look at a couple of unexpected facts that were kindly revealed by actors and movie producers after the films were finished.

1. Velma was written as gay in the original script for the first movie.

Back in 2020, a fan asked James Gunn, a Scooby-Doo writer, to make fans’ lesbian Velma dreams come true. Gunn replied that he tried to do it many times, but the studio kept watering the plot down, and it all ended with Velma having a boyfriend.

2. Daphne and Fred are a couple in real life.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Daphne) and Freddie Prinze Jr. (Fred) are actually married and have 2 children together. They met in 1997 while filming I Know What You Did Last Summer and started dating in 2000. Overall, they have starred in a total of 5 feature films together.

3. For a while, Gellar and Prinze Jr. didn’t know they both were sent the script for the same movie.

Despite being married and living together, they both read the script separately. So neither of them knew the other was proposed with the same project and that they both were about to participate in the same movie.

4. Many Harry Potter fans contributed to the movie’s box office.

Back in 2002, there were no trailers that people could watch online. And Scooby-Doo was one of the few movies showing a Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets trailer in theaters. It was reported that many fans of Harry Potter paid money for the film just to see that trailer.

5. Sarah Michelle Gellar had to wear a red wig in the movie.

After the shoot, Freddie Prinze Jr. had to shave his head because the bleach ruined his hair. But that wasn’t the thing that scared his wife and co-star. Gellar was blonde at the time and had to stay that way because she was also currently acting in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

6. Neil Fanning, who voiced Scooby, appeared on set every day.

Neil Fanning voiced the famous dog off-screen. But despite that, he continued to visit the set every day and provided Scooby’s dialogue for the cast to interact with. It all ended in a close friendship between him and Matthew Lillard (Shaggy). It seems like they’ve just made it very convincing, both on-screen and in real life.

7. Sarah Michelle Gellar talked Freddie Prinze Jr. into doing the movie.

Actually, it was the director Raja Gosnell’s idea to invite a real-life couple to play Daphne and Fred. And the first choice was Gellar and Prinze Jr. However, Prinze Jr. didn’t want to do the movie because he worried it wouldn’t live up to the Scooby-Doo cartoons. In the end, Gellar had to talk him into it.

8. The majority of the cast and crew didn’t think much of the film.

Freddie Prinze Jr. thought poorly of Fred’s wardrobe. Sarah Michelle Gellar once was asked which movie she would forbid her children from watching, and she chose Scooby-Doo. Linda Cardellini was also against children seeing the movie. Matthew Lillard hated it at first, but then warmed a bit up when critics praised his performance despite disliking the movie itself.

9. Sarah Michelle Gellar hated Daphne’s purple go-go boots.

And that’s just more proof that sometimes things don’t feel as good as they look on-screen. Those high boots were literally unbearable for the actress, so she would change into comfortable sneakers whenever it was possible.

10. Velma and Daphne were supposed to kiss.

In 2002, Sarah Michelle Gellar, who played Daphne Blake, revealed that the characters really did kiss in the movie. But the studio decided to go a more family-friendly route. Many jokes and sexual situations were removed, as well as the kissing scene. The actress hopes they at least will add it to the DVD version.

They say a third movie was once planned. If there was one, what main plots would you like to see in it? What sufficient cartoon details would you like to add to the movie adaptation?