It’s not uncommon for the first movie of a franchise to be followed by something that is considered not as good as the original. Sometimes the magic gets lost, or the writing is weaker than the original, regardless of the case it’s why fans are often weary of sequels. Actors like Matthew Lillard expect the continuation of a success will further their career, and when the sequel flops there is fear that their career is now at its end.
The live action 2002 film Scooby Doo is considered a cult classic by a lot of fans of the mystery crew. Following its success a second movie, Monsters Unleashed was announced. In an interview with Business Insider, Matthew Lillard talked about what Monsters Unleashed would do for his career. The Scream star stated:
I thought I’d be No. 1 on the call sheet for the next 10 years of movies. And the reality was the exact opposite happened.
Lillard spoke about how during this time he was still very susceptible to the opinions of the audience. He was looking for validation in a way that he could be seen as a good and famous actor, so when Monsters Unleashed flopped and offers dried up, Lillard found himself facing some difficult choices.
He reminisced on the pathway his career is going and could go. When talking about the given offer to be on Dancing With the Stars, Lillard spoke about his feelings regarding it:
I was going to do Dancing With the Stars. And I was like, if I do Dancing With the Stars I’ll never win an Academy Award. If I do ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ I’ll be famous and not a great actor, and I really just wanted to be a great actor. I said [to my agent], ‘I just want to be an actor. I just want to be in movies. I want to reset my expectations.’
He made a full reset of his life and career, returning to more humble roots while trying to take a new life for himself. As we know his career continued onwards, Lillard going on to play William Afton in the Five Nights at Freddy‘s live action movie from Blumhouse.
His discography is varied, the Scream star bouncing around between different roles. When looking back on the entirety of his career, Lillard describes it as such:
I’ve gone through good patches and bad patches. I’ve been irrelevant and thought I was never going to work again.
Lilliard wasn’t asked to do the animated movie Scoob! which he found disappointing. Currently Lillard is filming the sequel for the Five Nights at Freddys, returning as his titular role of William Afton. He described joining the first movie as “a leap of faith”, and the second is probably just as big a leap. It’s set to release in December 2025.
As we get closer to Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, if you’re looking for ways to watch the live action Scooby Doo movies as well as any other of the animated movies, we’ve got you covered.