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February 28, 2004
SMGFAN.com's
Exclusive Interview
with James Gunn
(Producer and Screenwriter of
Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed)
Copyright 2004 SMGFAN.com
NOTE: Please do not repost the interview (whole or in part) anywhere else. Please provide a link to the page instead. Thank you.
Image 1 courtesy of wga.org. Images 2 and 3 (C) Warner Bros..
JPM: Congratulations on your dual role on Scooby Doo 2 (SD2): Screenwriter and Producer! What other responsibilities did you 'inherit' as Producer?
James Gunn (JG): Basically, I worked more intimately with Raja, sitting on set, coming up with ideas on how to make a scene funnier or more clear, being a pest when someone changed a word. I'd also work more directly with the cast, going over scenes to make sure we were all on the same page.
JPM: Did the budget for SD2 allow you to do all the things you wanted in this movie? Are we finally going to see that sea creature sequence that was scrapped from the first one due to budget restraints?
JG: The budget allowed for a much bigger movie, and, unlike the first film, we didn't have to cut anything due to budget. There are more monsters, and those monsters each have a specific personality. The chase sequences are bigger and crazier - more like in the cartoon. We don't have any sea creatures, but we do have Captain Cutler's ghost, who rises up from a swamp to haunt the gang. Maybe sea creatures will fit well in Scooby 3.
JPM: What was the biggest challenge you faced in writing the sequel?
JG: Getting work done instead of playing Scrabble all day with Seth Green.
JPM: Classic Scooby Doo (SD) villains are going to be resurrected in this sequel. Which villains are coming back? Do you have a favorite and why?
JG: I'll tell you a few - The Black Knight Ghost, the Zombie, the Tar Monster, the 10,000 Volt Ghost, Captain Cutler's Ghost, the Pterodactyl Ghost. My favorites are probably the Skeleton Men, who are quite a funny little CGI comedy team.
JPM: What's new with the Scooby gang?
JG: They're all getting along quite well in this movie, unlike in the first film. However, Shaggy and Scooby start to realize they have a tendency to screw up some of the Gang's encounters, and they try to become "real detectives," like they see Fred and Daphne and Velma being. There's also a mean tabloid TV reporter named Heather Jasper-Howe, played by Alicia Silverstone, who does her best to turn the city against Mystery Ink -- Fred and Daphne, the popular ones, aren't really used to this. And also - Velma's in love with Patrick Wisely, played by Seth Green. But Velma hasn't had much experience dating, so she's a bit, uh, awkward.
JPM: What was it like on the set in Vancouver and how much different was the working atmosphere from the first time around? I assume that working on a sequel is easier because there's familiarity already.
JG: It was a lot easier. We're friends now as opposed to being people just thrown onto a movie set together. We knew each other and trusted each other. And because Vancouver's so much closer than Australia, we didn't feel as trapped and far away from everyone.
JPM: Inquiring minds want to know: how did American Idol's Ruben Studdard end up doing a cameo appearance in the film?
JG: Richard Suckle, the film's producer, and I - and also Sarah, actually - were really into American Idol. We needed a musical act for the end of the film, and we jumped on Ruben (well, not physically). He and his bro Kevin came in for the shoot. They're nice guys.
JPM: What can fans expect to see in this sequel? How much different is this movie from the first one?
JG: This movie is better in every way. It's a more character-centered film, it's more good natured, and the mystery elements are stronger. I think it's more true to the cartoon series. I wish this was the first film, in a lot of ways.
JPM: SD made over $250 million worldwide. Do you think SD2 will do better?
JG: I truly have no idea. But that isn't what matters to me. What matters is that we've made a better movie. What matters is that this movie is something that will touch people, whether because it's funny, exciting, emotional, whatever. I know this isn't studio logic - but I'd rather have three people pay to see a movie and love it, than ten people pay to see a movie and think it's so-so.
JPM: In some of your interviews for SD, you mentioned that the 'finished product' wasn't exactly as you had envisioned it. I also heard that the studio big wigs had a positive reaction to SD2 when it was shown to them for the first time. As the screenwriter and producer, are you satisfied with the movie the way it is now?
JG: Absolutely. My friends keep asking me how I like the movie and I tell them "I love it." They look at me funny, because I tend to be disappointed by films I'm involved with. They never live up to how I originally envisioned them; this one does. I'm not passing the buck - a lot of the problems on the first film were my fault. I had never written a big film like that. I learn from my mistakes, and take them to heart.
JPM: Any other special tidbits about the movie that you can share with us?
JG: Since you're with a Sarah site, I'll share three interesting things about Sarah Michelle Gellar:
1) Sarah really upped her game in this movie. She's funny and gorgeous, and just great throughout.
2) Sarah and I would pass the time on set making up disgusting song lyrics for our own disturbed version of Grease 3.
3) Though she's small, her years of slaying vampires have given her a mean whallop. One day she beat the crud out of me for writing a scene in which she had to roll around in a giant metal hamster ball. She came out battered and bruised with her hair all messed up. I'm over six feet tall, and weigh nearly twice as much as she does, but Sarah was this little blur of purple fury that I couldn't defend myself against. Everyone around was laughing hysterically but, honestly, it hurt. She's much stronger and I'm much weaker than I thought.
JPM: Did Sarah actually *try* to beat you up?
JG: She didn't just try, she succeeded!
JPM: Ummmm, watch out Freddie! *grin*
Big thanks to James for always being so accommodating despite his busy schedule. Visit his official site for all the latest info on his projects. Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed in theaters March 26, 2004!
Don't forget to enter our Inkworks Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed Trivia Sweepstakes. Contest now closed.
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