HOLLYWOOD (KRT) — Warner Bros. has unleashed the first look at the official movie poster of the live-action version of “Scooby-Doo” in theaters and on trailers.
The studio and filmmakers know that bringing the popular talking dog to life is a huge challenge because it’s based on a TV cartoon that has been a multigenerational favorite since the 1970s. The hippie-like Mystery Machine van and ghost-chasing youths being brought to life have fallen under early Internet criticism even before anyone has seen any of the film footage, mainly because fans worry that the computerized dog in the film won’t remain faithful to the show.
“We know it’s a tough challenge,” said producer Chuck Roven, when Zap2it visited the set. “We’re going to use some animatronics with his head and paws, but we want you to think he’s a living, breathing, real dog.”
Roven said that 95 percent of the film will have the Great Dane as computer-generated, but he hopes viewers won’t be able to tell the difference. They’re working behind the scenes on the film footage to make that transition seem seamless.
“The most difficult part has been trying to get the four-legged walk to look realistic because this dog also gets up on two hind legs, too,” Roven explained. “But we have to keep him 100 percent dog.”
“Scooby-Doo” comes to life with “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, the redhead; Freddie Prinze Jr. in dyed blond hair as Freddie; “Scream” star Matthew Lillard as the beloved Shaggy; and “Freaks and Geeks” star Linda Cardellini as Velma.
The story takes place in the present after the Mystery Machine team has broken up and gone their separate ways. Freddie has become arrogant and obnoxious, Velma is even more sexually ambiguous, and they’re all living on their past ghost-chasing glory. Then, Rowan Atkinson (“Mr. Bean”) brings them all to Spooky Island, an abandoned amusement park, for an unscheduled reunion.
Fan reprisals against unrealistic-computer generated images are becoming commonplace lately. Peter Jackson, who’s directing “The Lord of the Rings” movies, says that he’s concerned about Golem, a fully computerized character who’s appearing in the next installment of the movie, scheduled for next Christmas.
So producer Roven and director Raja Gosnell (“Big Momma’s House”) are particularly sensitive to the concerns of the avid “Scooby” fans.
“I grew up with Shaggy and Scooby, and to bring him to life is a dream come true,” said Gosnell, dressed in a sweat jacket and black jeans. “And I knew there would be concern by the ‘Scooby-Doo’ fans, so I want to remain faithful to the idea, but give the characters some more dimensions to the characters that we all grew up with.”