A 2002Sarah Michelle Gellarmovie is trending on Max after two decades, and its popularity is proof that the actor needs to complete her trilogy.Sarah Michelle Gellar has starred in several acclaimed movies and showsover the course of her career. From her most iconic role as the eponymousBuffy the Vampire Slayerto classic movies likeCruel Intentions, Gellar has had a very successful career. Even with so many highlights, however, the actor has also had some relative misfires and mistakes.
One of Gellar’s so-called misfires may not have been a mistake at all. After 22 years, a film Gellar starred in that was widely panned by critics is now experiencing a resurgence in popularity on the streaming service Max. The newfound popularity is a great sign in its own right, but it could even be an indication that Gellar should return to complete the trilogy that was planned but never came to fruition. If it is, Gellar could soon return to the big screen and the iconic Mystery Machine.
Scooby-Doo 2002’s Streaming Popularity Shows That Scooby-Doo 3 Needs To Finally Happen
Scooby-Doo Still Has Fans That Want To See A Third Movie
Now, after 22 years, the live-actionScooby-Doo (2002)is trending on Max.The fact thatScooby-Doois still popular enough to top Max’s charts after two decades proves that there’s still a very large audience that would be willing to see a third installment to round out a trilogy.Scooby-Dooand its sequel,Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, have had a cult following for years, and there have been calls for the cast to reunite for nearly as long as the movies have been out. The film’s recent spike in popularity, however, could be an indication that it has more than just a cult following.
Neil Fanning
Scooby-Doo
The timing would also be perfect forScooby-Doo 3now more than ever.Its resurgence in popularity is proof that the fans who loved the originalScooby-Doostill have a desire for it, which would giveScooby-Doo 3a built-in audience. Additionally, by nature of being a kid’s movie,Scooby-Doo 3would draw in an entire new generation of young audience members who weren’t even alive for the previous live-action adaptations. As an added bonus, returning to the live-action franchise would correct a 20-year-old mistake that doomedScooby-Doo 3in the first place.
Why Scooby-Doo 3 Was Canceled After 2004’s Monsters Unleashed
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed Suffered At The Box Office & Behind-The-Scenes
Even though the live-actionScooby-Doois still popular to this day, the franchise fizzled out when it was originally released. AfterMonsters Unleashed, there were plans for a third installment in the series, butScooby-Doo 3was canceled.The main reason forScooby-Doo3’s cancelation seems to be its underwhelming box office returns: it made just $181 million worldwide compared to the original’s $275 million, and it did far worse domestically(viaBox Office Mojo). Warner Bros. likely canceledScooby-Doo 3because of the second installment’s downward trend in revenue and its lower critical score - the original had 32% onRotten Tomatoes, whileMonsters Unleashedhad 23%.
Scooby-Doo 3’s Plot Revealed By James Gunn (It’s Crazy)
James Gunn reveals the plot of Scooby-Doo 3, which he was set to write and direct, sharing details that would have added up to a crazy movie.
Aside from the decision by Warner Bros. to cancelScooby-Doo3, it seems that the studio itself may have been somewhat at fault. According to Matthew Lillard (viaMovieWeb), Warner Bros. made some mistakes that limited how wellMonsters Unleashedcould do.
The second one didn’t do as well as it was expected to do, and I completely hold that to Warner Brothers' fault. I think Warner Brothers made a mistake releasing it at the time they did [March 2004]. I think the movie’s much better than the first movie, and I honestly thought it was going to do ridiculously good box office. But we had a bad timeslot. We had 13 movies open up in two weeks after we opened up. I mean, it did well, but it didn’t do great, and it needed to do great.
Lillard wasn’t the only star who had problems with Warner Bros., however. Freddie Prinze Jr. also toldTooFabthat he wouldn’t doScooby-Doo 3because of Warner Bros. As Prinze Jr. said, “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 straight forward in any way, shape or form.” Prinze Jr. said that the script he signed on to film was completely different from the final version.
The Scooby-Doo Cast’s Recent Horror Returns Perfectly Set Them Up For A Third Movie
Matthew Lillard, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, & Linda Cardellini Have Returned To Horror Films
As if they were preparing for a thirdScooby-Dooinstallment, the main cast of the live-action movies have all returned to the horror genre in recent years.Matthew Lillard (Shaggy) recently starred inFive Nights at Freddy’s, while Linda Cardellini (Velma) starred in 2019’sThe Curse ofLa Llorona. The rest of the cast is set to soon make their return to horror as well, as Freddie Prize Jr. (Fred) is set to star in thelegacy sequel toI Know What You Did Last Summer, and Sarah Michelle Gellar is set to have a part in theupcomingDexterprequelOriginal Sin.
All four main actors inScooby-Doomade horror movies prior to playing the Mystery Inc. members. Lillard starred inScreamin 1996, Prinze Jr. starred inI Know What You Did Last Summerin 1997, Gellar starred inBuffy the Vampire Slayerfrom 1997 to 2003, and Cardellini had a role in 1998’sStrangeland.
The fact that the entire main cast ofScooby-Doohas all come back to horror within five years of each other means there has never been a better time to reexamineScooby-Doo 3’s chances. The live-actionScooby-Doomovies are clearly still popular, and the actors seem to be willing to use their talent for horror again. Both the audience and the creators seem willing to makeScooby-Doo3happen, and it would really be a treat to seeSarah Michelle Gellarfinish out her trilogy 22 years later.
