Matthew Lillard Supports Netflix’s New Live-Action Scooby-Doo Series

Matthew Lillard, who played Shaggy in the early 2000s live-action Scooby-Doo films, says he’s happy to see the franchise returning in a new TV form.

Speaking during an interview with Entertainment Weekly while promoting Scream 7, his Ghost Face Vodka brand, and his recent work in horror, Lillard shared his thoughts on Scooby-Doo and Netflix’s upcoming live-action reboot.

“I’m really happy for them,” Lillard said. “I think that the show needs to come back.” He added that it’s been too long since there was a new animated Scooby-Doo series and called the franchise an important introduction to storytelling for kids. “It’s about friendship, sticking together, and working as a group to solve mysteries,” he said.

Lillard starred as Shaggy in 2002’s Scooby-Doo and its 2004 sequel Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, directed by Raja Gosnell. He appeared alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., and Linda Cardellini as members of Mystery, Inc.

While welcoming the reboot, Lillard admitted he’s a “purist” when it comes to Scooby-Doo. “The core of it is really about friendship,” he said. “It’s really lovely, and I hope they hold onto that.”

Netflix announced the new series earlier this year. It will be a modern-day reimagining with an origin story set during the group’s final summer at camp. According to the official synopsis, Shaggy and Daphne become involved in a mystery connected to a lost Great Dane puppy, alongside Velma and a new version of Fred. The show is being developed by writers Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg, with producer Greg Berlanti attached.

Casting and a release date have not yet been revealed.

Lillard also said he recently spoke with James Gunn, who wrote the two live-action Scooby-Doo movies. During that conversation, Lillard reflected on why the films became more popular over time. He believes their success grew through DVD viewings, calling them “comfort movies” that families watched again and again.

“They became something people loved over generations,” Lillard said.