Freddie Prinze Jr. isn’t eager to return to the “Scooby-Doo” franchise.
In a recent interview with TooFab, the 47-year-old actor was quick to turn down the prospect of reuniting with his wife, Sarah Michelle Gellar, as well as Matthew Lillard and Linda Cardellini for a third film playing Mystery Incorporated.
“It wouldn’t be something I would do,” Prinze said. “I have zero interest. I mean, it was tricky. It wouldn’t be for me, man.”
The actor clarified that his thoughts on the matter come down to the studio, rather than the project itself. The first “Scooby-Doo” (2002) and its 2004 sequel, “Monsters Unleashed,” were both distributed by Warner Bros.
“There was just so much bait and switch on the first one,” Prinze continued. “The studio was not honest with me in any way, shape, or form… It wasn’t the best. I think I’ve been on two jobs where I had regret doing it, and ‘Scooby’ was one of them.”
While Prinze wouldn’t look to reprise his role as Fred, the actor still appreciates what he and his collaborators accomplished on the duology.
“Until [‘Scooby’] was seen and children came up to me and would be like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ is when I was able to appreciate the experience through their souls,” Prinze said. “There’s legit millions of people that love this movie. It’s not the movie I wanted to make, but I appreciate that. It made me change my outlook on it.”
As for the other film that Prinze regrets, the actor revealed he struggled during the production of “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” due to a contentious working relationship with director Jim Gillespie. Gillespie expressed to Prinze that he wanted a different actor for his role. Prinze recalls Gillespie matter-of-factly telling the young actor, “’I don’t want you in this movie.’”
“When that’s your first job and you hear those words, it just wrecks you, man. It just wrecks you,” Prinze shared.
It may have been a difficult production that could have left a then rising actor packing, but Prinze does credit the film with launching his career. He also developed a relationship with his wife, Gellar, while making the film.
“I wouldn’t have any of the things I have without that movie. I wouldn’t have my wife, I wouldn’t have all the other movies I’ve done,” Prinze explained. “I’m here because of that struggle and because of that pain and it was those things.”