As one of a generation of fans who grew up watching reruns of old Scooby-Doo cartoons, alongside continually reinvented animated series, I was as interested as anybody when it was announced that Netflix was working on a new Scooby-Doo series, the first live-action stab at the franchise since the pair of well-regarded movies written by James Gunn. We recently learned that Mckenna Grace will be playing Daphne in the new series, and it turns out one of the first people to be told was the greatest Shaggy of all-time, Matthew Lillard.
Lillard played Shaggy in the previously mentioned live-action films. He was so perfect in the role that he also became the go-to voice of Scooby Snack munching hippie for most of the animated offerings that followed. Grace and Lillard have gotten to know each other well, having recently appeared in both Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and Scream 7 together. She informed ET that Lillard was one of the first people she told after landing the role. She explained…
He was like, 'Have you met Sarah [Michelle Gellar] yet?' I was like, 'No.' And he was like, 'Would you want that?' And I was like, 'Maybe, I don't know, Matt.' He's actually the coolest ever. I've been the biggest fan of his forever. So, I was so excited to meet him on Five Nights and then also on this, and now it's Scooby. He was just like, other than my family and my two nearest and dearest, he was the first person I told. We were over at Kevin Williamson's house, and I pulled him to the side, and I was like, 'Hey, by the way, it's gonna be our third thing that I'm doing that involves you!'
I need to be a fly on the wall when Mckenna Grace meets Sarah Michelle Gellar, who played Daphne in the movies with Matthew Lillard. I absolutely love that she told him about the series, and the very first thing that he said was, “How can I help?” Quentin Tarantino may not like Lillard as an actor, but the guy is an absolute stand-up human being who clearly loves the industry and the people he works with in it.
The new series is set to be an origin story that will see the Mystery Inc. team thrown together to solve a mystery while at summer camp, alongside a lost Great Dane puppy that they find. It’s the sort of premise that will likely have fans scratching their heads, but Lillard has given the show his blessing and is clearly on board with Mckenna Grace’s casting, who seems truly thrilled to be part of the project.
The show is giving off some serious vibes of another show that requires a Netflix subscription, Wednesday. Considering that Netflix series has included several great appearances from actors who were in other entries in the franchise, maybe something like that could happen here. Mckenna Grace could likely get Matthew Lillard to appear, and maybe she’ll get to know Sarah Michelle Gellar, too?
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