The Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster, a ride based on the film, was built at Warner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast, Queensland, in 2002.

After Mystery, Inc. solves the mystery of the Luna Ghost at a toy factory, long-brewing friction between Fred Jones, the self-obsessed glory hog, Daphne Blake, who has become tired of being the damsel in distress, and Velma Dinkley, from whom Fred regularly steals credit for her plans, causes the gang to break into a heated argument.

Subsequently, they disband, abandoning a dismayed Scooby-Doo and Shaggy Rogers, and leaving them to care for the gang's van, the Mystery Machine.

Two years later, they are all invited to solve a mystery on a horror-themed tropical resort named "Spooky Island" at the behest of owner Emile Mondavarious, who believes the guests have fallen under a demonic curse.

While Shaggy and Scooby hope this will bring the gang back together, Velma, Fred, and Daphne each intend to solve the mystery on their own.

Velma attends a ritualistic performance given by actor N'Goo Tuana and his henchman, famous luchador Zarkos.

The gang are led separately to the resort's haunted house ride, and they decide to get along for the time being; they split up and search for clues.

Fred and Velma discover a film that educates inhuman creatures about human culture, while Daphne finds a pyramid-shaped artifact called the "Daemon Ritus".

A local voodoo priest informs the gang the demons are to perform their "Darpokalypse" Ritual, which will see them rule the world for ten thousand years if a pure soul is sacrificed in the Daemon Ritus.

Finally realizing their mistake, Fred, Daphne, and Velma put aside their differences for good and team up with Shaggy to save Scooby and the world.

Mondavarious turns out to be a robot controlled by Scooby's estranged nephew Scrappy-Doo, who has been plotting revenge on the gang for being abandoned long ago due to his increasingly power-hungry and egomaniacal nature.

Daphne knocks Zarkos into the vat, tipping it over and returning most of the other souls to their bodies, then reflects sunlight through a skull-shaped disco ball, killing the released demons.

By the end of the decade, the combined popularity of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, along with the addition of the script and updated digital animation, led Warner Bros. to fast track production of the film.

[5] Mike Myers was reported to be co-writing the screenplay with Jay Kogan in July 1998, and was later on board to play Shaggy as well.

[16][17][18][19] Actors Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar, who both previously worked together in I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and portray Fred and Daphne, are romantically involved in both the film and reality.

"[20] Jim Carrey was originally attached to play Shaggy, while Mike Myers also expressed interest in the role.

[31] Meanwhile, Dairy Queen began promoting the film with kids meal toys, frozen cakes and a limited edition Mystery Crunch Blizzard flavor.

[33] The release included deleted scenes, among them an alternate opening animated in the style of the original television series.

[40] The film was released in the United Kingdom on July 12, 2002, and topped the country's box office for the next two weekends, before being dethroned by Austin Powers in Goldmember.

The site's critical consensus reads: "Though Lillard is uncannily spot-on as Shaggy, Scooby Doo is a tired live-action update, filled with lame jokes.

"[46] On Metacritic, the film received a weighted average score of 35 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".

[51] Robin Rauzi of the Los Angeles Times called the film "entertainment more disposable than Hanna-Barbera's half-hour cartoons ever were.

"[53] Robert K. Elder of the Chicago Tribune gave the film 2 and 1/2 stars out of 4 and wrote, "Screenwriter James Gunn gets it mostly right, remaining fiercely faithful to Mystery Inc. mythology, from integrating Scooby's annoying nephew Scrappy-Doo to Velma's penchant for yelling 'jinkees!'

"[54] Conversely, Hank Struever of The Washington Post gave the film a positive review, stating that "You don't want to love this, but you will.

[56] Prinze was nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor (Razzie), but he lost to Hayden Christensen for Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.