Freddie Prinze Jr., who originated the live-action role of Fred Jones in the 2002 Scooby-Doo film (and its sequel two years later) has said that he “regrets” starring in the live-action adaptations and that he would not return for another sequel if there were to be one, saying that the films were “tricky.”
During an interview with the news outlet Toofab, he said, “It wouldn’t be something I would do,” after the host put the idea to him. “I have zero interest [in doing another sequel].”
He said that the film’s studio, 20th Century Fox, “was not honest” with him. “It wouldn’t be for me, man. There was too much bait-and-switch on the first one. The studio was not honest with me in any way, shape, or form. They were not straightforward.” What Prinze is likely referring to is the fact that the original script was much darker than the finished movie, and that had the original vision come to be, the film would’ve been given an R rating.
In the interview, he expressed annoyance that people were “mad” at him “10 years ago” when he revealed that, but when the film’s writer, James Gunn, said it years later, people were much more positive: “They got super mad at me, right, and then Gunn says it and they’re like ‘ahhh’, and I was like ‘wait a minute, I opened that script up for you guys a long time ago’. But be mad at me that’s okay.”
He says that he regrets only two jobs within his career, and I’m sad to hear that Scooby was one of them. However, it doesn’t seem like he hates the franchise. He explained, “I didn’t fully appreciate Scooby until it was seen and children came up to me and would be like ‘oh my gosh’.
“When I was able to appreciate the experience through their souls, because that’s what they’re doing, they’re bearing their soul. ‘when I was a kid I watched this, and I made my dad watch it 30 times’, and they’re sharing their life… then all of a sudden I was like ‘hey man, we did good’.”
He continued by saying, “It’s not the movie I wanted to make, but I appreciate that and it made me change my outlook on it.”
Freddie, who starred alongside his now-wife Sarah Michelle Gellar (Daphne Blake), Matthew Lillard (Shaggy Rogers), and Linda Cardellini (Velma Dinkley), said that he did not appreciate being lied to. “When I get lied to, you’re dead to me, like I don’t trust you ever again… I’m only going to work with people I love and respect, and people who love and respect me.”
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
