When you hear the name James Gunn, you probably think of Guardians of the Galaxy or the upcoming Suicide Squad movie. But before he went so big budget, he wrote the 2002 movie Scooby-Doo. In a recent Twitter exchange, the writer and director spoke out about the movie that had a few different ratings before it landed at the expected PG.
It all started when one fan asked Gunn if he could make a release happen of the R-rated 2002 Scooby-Doo movie. He responded, and said fans would need to refer to the director of the film, Raja Gosnell, whom he called “an exceedingly nice guy.” He then added:
Yes, the first MPAA rating was R, but it was only because of one stupid joke the MPAA misinterpreted.
He then went on to add:
The movie was originally meant to be PG-13 & was cut down to PG after like 3 parents were outraged at a test screening in Sacramento. The studio decided to go a more family friendly route.
Language and jokes and sexual situations were removed, including a kiss between Daphne and Velma. Cleavage was CGI’d over. But, thankfully, the farting remained.
I thought at the time the rating change was a mistake. I felt like a lot of teens came out for the first film and didn’t get what they wanted (and didn’t come back for the sequel). But today I don’t know. So many young kids loved those movies, which is pretty cool.
Also, for the record I doubt any of those old cuts still exist.
I feel like it’s tricky to do any movie that it is geared toward kids with a rating higher than PG. You’ll have a confused audience, and it will probably miss the mark. But that’s just my opinion! Would you be interested in seeing a Scooby-Doo with a more mature rating?