Drop-in Workshop for Families: Character Design

The Mystery Inc. gang from Hanna-Barbera’s classic cartoon, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! took their sleuthing skills to the big screen with their first live-action adventure in 2002’s Scooby-Doo. Led by ‘90s teen heartthrobs and real-life couple Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar as Fred and Daphne, the amateur detectives Velma (Linda Cardellini), Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) and his best friend, the cowardly, always hungry, and vocal Great Dane, Scooby-Doo, reunite to solve the mystery of ghostly happenings at the tropical resort Spooky Island. From a script co-written by James Gunn and featuring Rowan Atkinson as the eccentric resort-owner, the film was a box office success on its release and continues to have an avid following.

The first motion picture produced by Nickelodeon is also Bronwen Hughes’s feature film directorial debut, starring Michelle Trachtenberg as a 12-year-old Harriet Welsch, who devotes her time spying on everyone and recording her discreet detective work in a “PRIVATE” notebook. When those secrets get exposed, Harriet finds her entire class against her, including her two best friends. This sweet drama boldly and candidly surveys the bittersweet pre-teen years as an exploration of self, complementing the confusion that marks this transitional phase with Harriet’s unapologetic, cheeky spirit, letting her fight her own battles and attain redemption.

Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins), a private eye in 1930s Los Angeles, gets an unexpected client—Roger Rabbit, a cartoon film star. Director Robert Zemeckis’s witty comedy-mystery is a dazzling mix of live-action and animation, incorporating beloved cartoon characters from Disney and other studios. Nominated for its art direction, cinematography, and sound, it won for its film editing, sound effects editing, and visual effects. Richard Williams also received a Special Achievement Award from the Academy for his animation direction.