James Gunn’s Original R-Rated Vision for 2002’s ‘Scooby-Doo’ Was Both Deranged and Terrifying

The live-action Scooby-Doo movies hold a special place in the hearts of 2000s kids. In hindsight, they were incredibly rough around the edges, but no one claims they were Scorsese‘s definition of absolute cinema. 2002’s Scooby-Doo and its 2004 sequel, Monsters Unleashed, were far from perfect. Still, they featured a lovable, talented cast and quirky humor that has cemented nostalgia for an entire generation of cinemagoers. However, we nearly got an entirely different version of Mystery Inc. James Gunn wrote the screenplay for both movies. It’s hard to imagine the current CEO of DC Studios having a hand in such a bizarre pair of films, but his reputation made Scooby-Doo a great fit. Gunn started his filmmaking career in horror, but he always had a knack for comedy. A Scooby-Doo live-action film seems like the perfect place for a unique blend of comedy and horror, but Warner Bros. stepped in when his screenplay became a little too geared toward adult humor.

Gunn’s Raunchy Comedy-Horror Featured Stoners, Demons, and a Velma/Daphne Relationship

Gunn’s original vision for Scooby-Doo was way different than what we got. In a 2017 Facebook post celebrating the movie’s 15th anniversary, Gunn admitted, “I had written an edgier film geared towards older kids and adults, and the studio ended up pushing a clean-cut children’s film. And yes, the first cut was R-rated.” Gunn’s original vision didn’t shy away from his explicit humor and explored some mature themes. Gunn also discussed a kiss between Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Velma (Linda Cardellini), with reports suggesting they developed a relationship in the film. There would be tension between Daphne and Fred (Freddie Prinze-Jr), who originally had a more casual relationship. But the complicated love triangle was only the beginning. Shaggy (Matthew Lilard) and Scooby (Neil Fanning) would’ve leaned into the stoner aesthetic far more than the final cut. Audiences always associated Shaggy with a stoner lifestyle, and Gunn’s film would’ve contained more overt references to his drug use.

Gunn also revealed on Twitter that “Language and jokes and sexual situations were removed… cleavage was CGI’d over. But thankfully, the farting remained.” Gunn’s vision focused on a more self-aware parody angle that poked fun at Hollywood’s tendency to oversexualize female leads and portray a rather tone-deaf stereotypical view of drugs.

Given Gunn’s horror background, it’s no stretch to assume Scooby-Doo would’ve featured a slightly more heart-pounding monster mystery. Gosnell has also discussed a fateful test screening in Arizona that featured much scarier monsters that resembled demonic entities. (Via E! News) Gunn’s directing career began shortly after Scooby-Doo with Slither, a sci-fi horror about alien parasites. Gunn also flexed his horror muscles while producing Brightburn and included shocking imagery in The Suicide Squad. While his Scooby-Doo monsters probably wouldn’t have gone quite as far as his other horror work, an R-rated cut featured a slightly more spine-crawling cast of monsters than the ones we got.

After Backlash From Conservative Parents, Warner Bros. Stepped In

Sadly, Warner Bros. steered away from Gunn’s vision after some poor test screenings. A lesbian romance between Velma and Daphne, explicit drug references, and the concept of monsters claiming people’s souls all triggered a backlash from uptight parents who demanded a more child-friendly film. Gunn described on Twitter how the film was “cut down to PG after three parents were outraged at a test screening in Sacramento.” (Via GayTimes) So, there were likely other negative screenings that all accumulated and caused Warner Bros. to panic.

Matthew Lillard as Shaggy with Scooby-Doo

The Third Live-Action ‘Scooby-Doo’ Movie We Never Got

The second sequel was going to be in Scotland, according to James Gunn.

Gunn has discussed the frustrating process of softening your film to cater to a broader audience, and the studio clearly didn’t understand his vision. One of the film’s stars, Freddie Prinze Jr., shares Gunn’s frustration. In a 2023 interview with TooFab, he explained, “There was just so much bait and switch with the first one… The studio was not honest with me in any way, shape, or form.” When the cast landed in Australia to begin production, they were immediately handed a new script. Prinze-Jr said, “They didn’t even let us go to our residence first. We had to go straight to the studio and were given a new script that was basically rated G.”

Gunn’s Version Would Absolutely Work in 2025

We’ve seen countless stories of studio intervention ruining films, and it seems like Warner Bros. robbed us of a cult classic. While adapting a child’s property into a movie steered towards adults may seem counterintuitive, Gunn’s idea certainly had potential. Movies like 21 Jump Street and Superbad cater to a broad range of ages, and Scooby-Doo could’ve capitalized on a slightly older generation of kids and young adults who grew up with the cartoons. Mature-themed comedies stand the test of time far better than children’s comedies. In some ways, Gunn was ahead of his time. Gritty reboots of children’s properties are the norm in Hollywood now, from Zack Snyder’s run of DC superhero films to Michael Bay’s Transformers and even Andor‘s more grounded take on Star Wars. It seems like Gunn was aiming more for Shaun of the Dead than Spy Kids, and we’ve seen his ability to blend comedy and horror pay off in movies like The Suicide Squad.

However, some good has come out of Scooby-Doo. Despite its faults, there’s a lot of love for the live-action films today. Freddie Prinze Jr. may have been angry during production, but he had a change of heart after realizing the cultural impact those films had on an entire generation. Prinze Jr. explained to Collider, “The love that your generation and a couple others have had for that movie really changed my perspective on the whole experience.” Prinze Jr.’s relationship with Scooby-Doo echoes that of Hayden Christensen‘s with Star Wars. After years of thinking that everyone hated the films, an entire generation of fans has grown up and voiced their love for their childhood favorites, which is a nice end to the tale. As for James Gunn, he has no issues executing his vision with Warner Bros. after ascending to CEO of DC Studios and being given complete creative control. Things mostly worked out in the end.

Everyone in the Scooby-Doo cast has gone on to have successful careers. The tale of “unseen film cut that we were robbed of” is a common one, but Scooby-Doo might not be as frustrating as other projects ruined by studio intervention. The charm of the cast and crew prevailed through the messy creative differences and left us with a pair of fun movies that find a new group of fans in every generation.