James Gunn’s $275M Supernatural Remake Can’t Be Stopped In Its HBO Max Domination
Maggie Dela Paz is a News and TV writer at ScreenRant. She has nearly a decade of professional experience in writing entertainment articles about a wide range of topics, including movies, television, music, anime, streaming, and more.
After a successful theatrical run in 2002, James Gunn’s cult-classic remake of the popular animated series has officially become a streaming sensation. For the past decade, Gunn has prioritized building superhero cinematic universes, starting with Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Currently, he's been busy developing projects for the DC Universe as a filmmaker and as the co-CEO of DC Studios. Since taking on the position, he has produced several notable DCU projects, including 2025's Superman film starring David Corenswet, HBO Max's animated series Creature Commandos, and John Cena's Peacemaker season 2.
Before Gunn found success with superhero movies and TV shows, he was best known for his work on horror movies such as 2004’s Dawn of the Dead and 2006’s Slither, with the latter serving as his feature-length directorial debut. While Guardians of the Galaxy had indeed solidified his place as a filmmaker, Gunn admitted that 2002’s live-action adaptation of Scooby-Doo was the film that made the most impact in his life, as it was the one that launched his career. Ahead of his next major DCU film, Man of Tomorrow's 2027 release, Gunn's Scooby-Doo remake becomes a hit on streaming charts.
Gunn's Scooby-Doo Refuses To Back Down On HBO Max
The Ultimate · Horror Quote Challenge Name That Horror Movie “They’re coming to get you, Barbara.”
☠1960s
🔪1970s
👻1980s
💀1990s
🎭2000s
01
Which horror movie features this iconic line?
“I am your number one fan.”
✓ Correct! Annie Wilkes’s obsessive declaration to author Paul Sheldon in Misery — Kathy Bates won the Oscar for this role.
✗ Not quite — it’s Misery (1990). Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes delivers this line before things get very, very painful for her favorite author.
02
Which horror movie features this iconic line?
“We all go a little mad sometimes.”
✓ Correct! Norman Bates’s unsettling confession in Hitchcock’s Psycho — the film that invented the slasher.
✗ Not quite — it’s Psycho (1960). Norman Bates delivers this chilling line to Marion Crane before the shower scene changes cinema forever.
03
Which horror movie features this iconic line?
“Here’s Johnny!”
✓ Correct! Jack Nicholson’s terrifying ad-lib as he axes through the bathroom door in The Shining.
✗ Not quite — it’s The Shining (1980). Nicholson improvised this line while hacking through the door — Kubrick kept the cameras rolling.
04
Which horror movie features this iconic line?
“They’re all gonna laugh at you!”
✓ Correct! Margaret White’s cruel warning to her daughter before prom night turns deadly in Carrie.
✗ Not quite — it’s Carrie (1976). Piper Laurie as Margaret White torments her telekinetic daughter with this prophetic warning.
05
Which horror movie features this iconic line?
“One, two, Freddy’s coming for you.”
✓ Correct! The eerie children’s jump-rope rhyme that haunts the dreams of Elm Street.
✗ Not quite — it’s A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). The nursery rhyme warning of Freddy Krueger’s arrival. All five are iconic slashers, but only one invades your dreams.
06
Which horror movie features this iconic line?
“I want to play a game.”
✓ Correct! Jigsaw’s signature greeting, delivered through his puppet Billy in Saw.
✗ Not quite — it’s Saw (2004). The Jigsaw Killer’s chilling invitation before his victims face impossible choices.
07
Which horror movie features this iconic line?
“It was the boogeyman.”
✓ Correct! Laurie Strode’s terrified whisper to Dr. Loomis after surviving Michael Myers in Halloween.
✗ Not quite — it’s Halloween (1978). Laurie Strode whispers this to Dr. Loomis, who replies: “As a matter of fact, it was.”
08
Which horror movie features this iconic line?
“It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.”
✓ Correct! Buffalo Bill’s skin-crawling command to his captive in The Silence of the Lambs.
✗ Not quite — it’s The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Buffalo Bill delivers this disturbing line from his basement. All five films feature serial killers, but only one has this scene.
The Body Count Your Survival Score
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Did you survive the horror quiz?
For the past 60 days, the popular Scooby-Doo movie has maintained its spot on HBO Max’s top ten movies chart in the United States. This comes two decades after the movie grossed around $275 million at the box office. At the moment, the 2002 film is placed at number nine, beating another classic horror movie in the form of 1980’s The Shining. Since it's the Halloween season, it isn’t surprising that HBO Max’s top ten movies chart is getting dominated by horror films, including this year’s Backrooms and Evil Dead Burn, which have claimed the second and third spots, respectively.
Scooby-Doo was directed by Raja Gosnell, with Gunn writing the screenplay. It follows the Mystery Inc. crew two years after breaking up over disagreements about their roles in the team. They reunite at a tropical island resort for a paranormal mission, involving young partygoers mysteriously getting brainwashed. The cast was led by Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., Rowan Atkinson, and Isla Fisher. Although it was a blockbuster hit, the movie was initially met with negative reviews from critics. Despite this, it still became a pop culture classic after gaining a cult following over the years.
Would Gunn & The Cast Ever Return For A Third Movie?
Before the release of Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, Warner Bros. Pictures enlisted Gunn to write and direct Scooby-Doo 3. However, after the 2004 sequel failed to exceed expectations, the third installment was ultimately scrapped. While fans have been frequently requesting its continuation, Scooby-Doo 3 remains a canceled project, and Gunn and the original cast currently have no plans to return. In 2022, when asked about the possibility of doing an R-rated Scooby-Doo 3, he shared that the studio would likely approve it if they asked, but he admitted that he doesn’t really have the time for it.
At the moment, the Scooby-Doo franchise continues with Netflix’s upcoming live-action series Scooby-Doo: Origins, which will introduce a much younger cast than the 2002 adaptation. Set to debut in 2027, the Scooby-Doo: Origins cast will be led by Mckenna Grace as Daphne, Tanner Hagen as Shaggy, Abby Ryder Fortson as Velma, and Maxwell Jenkins as Fred Jones. The story will follow the gang's final summer at Camp Ruby-Spears, where they meet the adorable titular Great Dane puppy.
- Release Date
- June 14, 2002
- Runtime
- 87 minutes
- Director
- Raja Gosnell
- Writers
- James Gunn, Craig Titley
- Producers
- Charles Roven, Richard Suckle
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