The 2002 live-action treatment of the famed cartoon series Scooby-Doo saying it was originally supposed to be R-rated. The film starred real-life sweethearts Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar as Freddie and Daphne, while Matthew Lillard played Shaggy and Linda Cardellini Velma, with Neil Fanning providing the voice of Scooby-Doo. The movie follows the gang as they reunite after the Mystery Inc's unfortunate break-up to solve the horrors plaguing a resort called Spooky Island.

The film was written by James Gunn, know best known for his incredibly successful work on Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel. Before shaping the cosmic future of the MCU, though, he worked as a screenwriter for a couple of properties in the early 2000s, including writing the Scooby-Doo film and its 2004 sequel. Now, the filmmaker has spilt some secret details on his work on the property, revealing some changes that were made along the way.

In commemoration of the first Scooby-Doo's 15th year anniversary, Gunn took it to his official Facebook account to talk about his experiences while working on the movie. The director recalled that he was grateful for the opportunity to work on the property and for the friendship he has developed along the way. However, the main takeaway from Gunn's lengthy social media post was him admitting that the film was originally rated R:

"And, yes, the rumors are true - the first cut was rated R by the MPAA, and the female stars' cleavage was CGI'd away so as not to offend. But, you know, such is life. I had a lot of fun making this movie, regardless of all that. And I was also able to eat, buy a car, and a house because of it."

Gunn explains that he was initially working on an "edgier film geared toward older kids and adults." Unfortunately, this clashed with the studio's vision for the film, and when the first cut was given an R it had to be recut.

While Scooby-Doo was a hit at the box office, it flopped with critics; despite being a reimagined update, it offered nothing that different from its source material. It would be interesting to know what Gunn's original version looked like, especially as it seemingly involved nudity, although it's not clear whether it would have been any better than the finished film.

Gunn has come a long way since those early days. Now, his hands are full with all things Marvel - on top of working on the script the third Guardians film, which he will also direct, he is also overseeing the cosmic division of the MCU - and he still finds time for separate projects like The Belko Experiment.

Next: James Gunn May Need to Break MCU Canon in Guardians of the Galaxy 3

Source: James Gunn