Long before his days in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Gunn wrote two live Scooby-Doo movies for Warner Bros.
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Long before James Gunn became one of Hollywood’s most exciting tent directors thanks to his work in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise, he began his career in the studio system writing the scripts for Warner Bros. ‘movies. live action “Scooby-Doo”. The 2002 release of “Scooby-Doo” was directed by Raja Gosnell and was a box office success with just over $ 257 million worldwide. The film was followed by a 2004 sequel, “Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed,” which reunited Gunn and Gosnell. Gunn recently revealed on Twitter that it was his plan from the start to make Velma “explicitly gay” in his “Scooby-Doo” movies, but Warner Bros. did not allow it and slowly removed any point in the story related to homosexuality from Velma.
In response to a social media fan who urged Gunn to return to the Scooby-Doo franchise and do a live-action gay Velma, Gunn wrote: “I tried! In 2001 Velma was explicitly gay in my initial script. But the studio kept diluting and diluting it, becoming ambiguous (the filmed version), then nothing (the released version), and finally having a boyfriend (the sequel). “
Gunn wrote to another fan that some of the deleted scenes in the 2002 movie’s home video release hinted at what he was trying to do with Velma’s sexuality in the original script. The director added that he is amazed at how strong the fandom for his “Scooby-Doo” movies remains via social media, writing, “I’m amazed at how much Scooby fans have increased their presence throughout the year. past more or less. “
The “Monsters Unleashed” sequel disappointed at the box office with just $ 181 million worldwide, effectively ending Gunn’s live-action series. Both films starred Linda Cardellini as Velma alongside Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, and Matthew Lillard as Shaggy. Neil Fanning voiced Scooby-Doo. Warner Bros. revived the franchise this year with the animated “Scoob,” which topped the VOD charts after skipping theaters in May and is now available to stream on HBO Max.
I tried! In 2001 Velma was explicitly gay in my initial script. But the studio continued to dilute and dilute it, becoming ambiguous (the filmed version), then nothing (the released version), and finally having a boyfriend (the sequel). 😐 https://t.co/Pxho6Ju1oQ
– James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 13, 2020
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