Matthew Lillard Hopes Netflix’s Scooby-Doo Upholds Its Core Story

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Matthew Lillard, famous for playing Shaggy in the live-action Scooby-Doo movies, has shared his thoughts on the new Scooby-Doo TV show coming to Netflix.

The actor expressed excitement about the possibility of bringing back the popular comedy mystery series. While talking to Entertainment Weekly to promote Scream 7, he discussed his thoughts on Netflix rebooting the show and what he’d like to see the streaming service do to maintain the original Scooby-Doo‘s charm.

Lillard expressed his excitement about the return of Scooby-Doo on Netflix, saying the franchise was due for a reboot to introduce it to a new audience. He hopes Netflix preserves the show’s original charm and, at its heart, the message about the power of friendship. He believes as long as the new series sticks to the classic formula, it will be a success.

He emphasized the importance of making it appropriate for children, just like the classic cartoon. Lillard believes this would be a great way to gently introduce kids to ghost stories, offering something mildly spooky rather than truly frightening. He also pointed out that Scooby-Doo episodes could help parents teach their children about stranger danger, as the villains are always disguised.

I’m genuinely thrilled for them. I really believe the show should be revived. It’s been years since we’ve had an animated series, which is a shame. Animation is a fantastic way to teach kids about stories, and for many, it’s their first exposure to spooky tales. The show focuses on the importance of friendship, teamwork, and solving mysteries—often involving a masked villain. These are valuable lessons for kids.

It’s great to have it back, and I’m hoping the creators respect what made the original so good while also trying something new. I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to this series, because at its heart, it’s really about the power of friendship. That’s what I love about it, and I hope they don’t lose sight of that.

Matthew Lillard famously played Shaggy Rogers in the live-action Scooby-Doo movies and their sequel, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. He acted alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred, and Linda Cardellini as Velma, with Neil Fanning providing the voice of Scooby-Doo. The films were based on the original Scooby-Doo cartoon, which first aired in 1969 and became a beloved and long-running children’s TV show, spawning numerous spin-offs and reboots over the years.

Netflix plans to bring back Scooby-Doo with a new series, first announced in March 2025. Production is scheduled to start in April 2026. The show will explore a fresh backstory for the Mystery Inc. gang, set during their final summer at camp. The actors who will star in the reboot haven’t been announced yet.

As of right now, Netflix hasn’t announced when the new Scooby-Doo movie will be released.

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2026-02-01 05:48