Folks who may be hoping for a reunion of the live-action cast of the 2002 Scooby-Doo might be in for a disappointment, as star Freddie Prinze Jr. says he has no intention of ever returning to the series.
In an interview with TooFab, Prinze was asked if he would ever come back to playing Fred Jones in a third film, which fans have been calling for. The actor was quick to say no, however, noting that he had “zero interest” after what he called some issues in his past experiences on the films.
“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. There was too much bait-and-switch on the first one – the studio was not honest with me in any way, shape, or form, I’ve been on two jobs where I had regret doing it and Scooby was one of them.”
While it’s unclear exactly what Prinze Jr. went through while playing Fred Jones, he has spoken briefly about his issues with his role in the films. In a separate interview with Esquire, Prinze revealed he was asked to take a pay cut for the second film, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, and also cited that the final version of the film was not anything like the script he signed up for.
“When I get lied to, you’re dead to me, I don’t trust you ever again. I’m telling you, ever again,” said Prinze, before adding that if a third film were to get made, it would still involve people who were on hand for the first two, which the actor says is “not any business I want to be involved with.”
