Then And Now: The Cast Of "Scooby-Doo: The Movie" On The Film's 20th Anniversary
On June 8, 2002, the world of CINEMA was forever changed when the masterpiece that is Scooby-Doo: The Movie premiered, taking the Mystery Inc. gang out of the world of 2-D animation and into the live-action realm.
Aww, the nostalgia radiating from this image has me EMOTIONAL.
This film got so many things right, but the casting was truly a stroke of genius. The actors embodied these classic characters with such effortlessness, it's hard to believe they didn't originate these roles.
They said "let's give the girls film EXCELLENCE!"
Now 20 years have passed, so let's catch up with the Mystery Inc. gang to see what they've been up to in the last two decades.
Warner Bros. Pictures / Via giphy.com
Freddie Prinze Jr. in 2002:
Freddie Prinze Jr. in 2022:
And here they are side-by-side:
Since his days as The Gang's™ self-proclaimed leader and resident himbo, Freddie Prinze Jr. (aka Mr. Michelle Gellar) went on to star in his very own sitcom titled Freddie, was involved in multiple Star Wars projects including The Rise of Skywalker and The Bad Batch, and even had a stint as director and producer for the WWE! Wild, but true!
The star has seamlessly transitioned from teen heartthrob to major zaddy, and you can catch him later this year in the Netflix holiday movie, Christmas with You!
Sarah Michelle Gellar in 2002:
Sarah Michelle Gellar in 2022:
And here they are side-by-side:
After lighting up the screen as Mystery Inc.'s it-girl and martial arts badass, the Buffy star cemented her place in pop culture history taking on a role in the now classic horror flick The Grudge, voiced Teela in the Netflix series Masters of the Universe: Revelation, and has devoted much of her time to charities like the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Project Angel Food.
She also entered the culinary space, releasing her own cookbook titled Stirring Up Fun with Food and co-founded Foodstirs, a startup that sells organic baking kits! SMG FTW!
Linda Cardellini in 2002:
Linda Cardellini in 2022:
And here they are side-by-side:
Fresh off the heels of the cult classic, Freaks and Geeks, Cardellini took on the role of the franchise's MVP, Velma. And in the time after, she's been WORKING, GIRL! After her award-winning run on the hit show E.R., she went on to star in Brokeback Mountain, the Disney+ series Hawkeye, and the hit show Dead to Me which earned her an Emmy nom!
And as for Velma herself, she's getting her own HBO Max animated series helmed by Mindy Kaling that's expected to drop by the end of 2022, and I think that deserves a good ol' fashioned "jinkies!"
Matthew Lillard in 2002:
Matthew Lillard in 2022:
And here they are side-by-side:
Matthew Lillard was pitch-perfect as everyone's favorite stoner...er, verrrrry chill, food-loving, aloof individual. (Sure, we'll go with that.) Recently, he's been seen in the She's All That remake He's All That, made cameos in both Scream 4 and Scream (2022), and even founded a tabletop-gaming accessories company, Beadle & Grimm’s.
Lillard was so good in the role of Shaggy that not only did he receive a Kid's Choice Award for "Favorite Fart in a Movie" (lol), but he's also gone on to voice the character in over 35 Scooby-related projects! Like, totally far out, maaaan!
Isla Fisher in 2002:
Isla Fisher in 2022:
And here they are side-by-side:
Her character might have been new to the franchise, but the Australian actor took this role as an allergy-suffering flower child and made it POP! Since her Scooby days, Fisher's been seen in heaps of projects like Wedding Crashers and Confessions of a Shopaholic, and more recently Godmothered and the Peacock romantic dramedy series, Wolf Like Me.
And outside of acting, she's made a splash in the children's book game, authoring the very successful Marge and in Charge series! Go off, sis!
Rowan Atkinson in 2002:
Rowan Atkinson in 2022:
And here they are side-by-side:
How could one forget Rowan Atkinson as Mondavarious? Who turned out to be a robot?! Controlled by the famously reviled Scrappy-Doo?! WILD TWIST! Since this totally bananas turn, our pal Mr. Bean has gone on to star in the Johnny English trilogy, and has spent a fair amount of time racing cars?! Who knew?
Last year he made the news after the pilot of his private plane fainted at the controls, and the actor had to keep the plane steady until the pilot came to! Maybe he is a robot after all!
James Gunn in 2002:
James Gunn in 2022:
And here they are side-by-side:
Ok, not technically part of the cast, but did you remember that James Gunn wrote this movie?? After Scooby, Gunn's career blew up, writing and directing the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and most recently The Suicide Squad. He also has a background in music, having composed songs for both the Scooby movies and Movie 43.
On the the15th anniversary of the film, Gunn revealed that the first cut of Scooby-Doo was R-rated!!!!! And we could have seen it if it weren't for those meddling kids!!!
Scoobert "Scooby" Doo in 2002:
Scoobert "Scooby" Doo in 2022:
And here they are side-by-side:
Since his days on set, Scoob has opted for a quiet life out of the spotlight, begging the question "Scooby-Dooby-Doo, where are you?" While he hasn't acted since 2004's Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, we're all still hopeful he'd return to the big screen if there was ever a third installment. And in the age of remakes and reboots, why the hell not?
