Matthew Lillard, known for portraying Shaggy in the 2002 Scooby-Doo film and its 2004 sequel Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, expresses support for a new live-action origin series on Netflix. The platform has ordered eight episodes from Berlanti Productions, marking a fresh take on the iconic franchise.
Lillard’s Positive Reaction
Lillard shares enthusiasm for the revival, emphasizing the franchise’s enduring appeal. “I’m really happy for them. I think that the show needs to come back,” he states. He highlights the absence of recent animated series, calling it a missed opportunity. “We haven’t done an animated series now in years, which I think is horrible. I think that it’s a great way for kids to understand storytelling. It’s the first introduction to ghost stories for a lot of kids, right? It’s about friendship and sticking together as a gang and working together to solve mysteries — and that normally it’s a dangerous white man behind a mask. These are the things that kids have to learn.”
He advocates for preserving the series’ core elements. “I think that having it back is good. My hope is that they hold onto what’s tried and true and take their hack at it. But the reality is that I’m sort of a purist when it comes to that franchise. The core of it is really about friendship. It’s really lovely, and I hope that they hold onto that.”
Series Details and Plot
The untitled project, developed by Midnight Radio, Berlanti Productions, and Warner Bros. Television, secured a premium script-to-series commitment at Netflix last spring after a competitive bidding process. Writers Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg, known for Cowboy Bebop, base the story on Hanna-Barbera characters.
The series explores the origins of Mystery Inc., detailing how Shaggy, Daphne, Velma, and Fred unite. During their final summer at camp, Shaggy and Daphne encounter a haunting mystery involving a lost Great Dane puppy that witnesses a potential supernatural murder. Joined by the analytical Velma and the enigmatic newcomer Fred, they unravel the case, confronting nightmares that reveal personal secrets.
This revival aims to reintroduce the beloved characters to new audiences while honoring the franchise’s themes of teamwork and mystery-solving.
