May 26th 2003 Script Draft

The scene heading and action description

The **May 26th 2003 Script** of Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed is a draft of the film's screenplay written by James Gunn. This is the version that most other adaptations of the Potion Scene are developed from, most directly Transformers.

As of now, this is the earliest publicly available draft of the film's script. The asterisks on the right side of some pages are revision marks, indicating that portions of this script have already been changed from an earlier draft, which means this is not the original draft. However, until any prior drafts to this one are found, this version will be treated as the earliest point in the scene's history.

## History

As stated before, this is a draft of the film by James Gunn, completed in May 26th 2003, less than a year before the film's release. The potion scene begins on page 55, scene 62. It ends on page 58, scene 65.

Similar to the final scene, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo enter an underground labrotory to look for clues. Scooby finds a fridge full of potions and drinks one of them. He mutates into a Freakish Monster, and Shaggy tries to find an antidote in the fridge. He and Scooby use another potion which gives Shaggy the chest of a woman and turns Scooby into another creature. Shaggy and Scooby drink anothe potion which turns Scooby into a super-geek creature and Shaggy into a hugely muscular, Incredible Hulk-like version of himself. Scooby dislikes being so smart, and creates an antidote to transform them back to normal. Shaggy, wanting to stay buff, throws a potion causing an explosion. The rest of the gang hear this and run to the lab to investigate, finding Shaggy and Scooby stuck to the wall. Scooby forces Shaggy to drink the antidote and the two transform back to normal.

## Comparisons to Transformers

While the script may seem identical to the original version, there are a lot of difference between the two.

* The script mentions speckles of Randamonium in the lab which are not in the final scene.
* Shaggy's first lines ("Wowee, Scooby-Doo! I think we're onto something" and "It's like a huge laboratory") are not in the script.
* Scooby never says "yeah" in response to Shaggy.
* Scooby confuses a potion for yogurt and not lemonade.
* Scooby's transformation into Monster Scooby is not described in anyway, implied we were never meant to see him transform at all.
* Shaggy simply turns to Scooby, not saying "Check it out. look at those weird letters, Scoob."
* Shaggy does not scream in the final scene.
* Monster Scooby never turns behind him confused, and only looks at the potion in his hand.
* Monster Scooby's weird burp was not in the original script.
* Shaggy does not realize the monster is Scooby at first until he speaks.
* Shaggy says "freaking monster" instead of "freaky monster".
	+ As the shot changes before Shaggy can say "freaky" in the movie, it's possible that this was a post-production change and he did say "freaking" in the raw footage.
* Scooby shows Shaggy a bowl instead of a beaker.
	+ The fridge in the film has few bowls in general, and none that Scooby or Shaggy interact with.
* There is an entire joke not used in the final scene.
	+ Shaggy says "You don't eat stuff that glows".
	+ Scooby mentions "firefiles".
	+ Shaggy retorts saying "fireflies are the exception that proves the rule".
* Shaggy transforms when the "Medicinal" Potion spills on his arm, not because he drinks it.
	+ This also adds the line "Ah! Some spilled on me!"
* Transforming is described as "mutating" in the script, unlike the movie.
* Shaggy says "Cool, I'm still me!" instead of "I'm okay, Scoob!"
* The script only describes Shaggy having the chest of a woman, while the scene gives him a full woman's body from the neck down.
* Scooby turns into Yao Ming instead of Tasmanian Devil Scooby.
	+ Yao Ming Scooby looks at himself in the mirror, which Tasmanian Devil doesn't seem to do.
* Shaggy Chick doesn't search the fridge, and instead just grabs random potions immediately.
	+ Shaggy Chick grabs two potions, one he tosses at Yao Ming Scooby and the other he drinks himself.
	+ Shaggy Chick does not toss a potion away.
* Scooby Brainiac first speaks before Buff Shaggy.
* Scooby Brainiac's monologue is very different from the final version.
	+ In the script, he says "Oh, knowledge, you hideous plague! How I long for my blissful days of ignorance. Perhaps I can brew a chemical concoction that will restore me to the simple, delighted creature I once was."
	+ In the film, he says "My God. It seems as if I've become ludicrously intelligent. It's awful! Oh, I long for the blissful ignorance of my former self. Chasing cats, licking my own rear end, eating my own vomit. Oh, those were wonderful times."
* The script does not mention Buff Shaggy slapping his butt.
* Two of Buff Shaggy's lines, "I'm buff!" and "Check out my pecs, little man!" are combined into "Yeahhhhh! I'm buff! Check out my pecs, little man!!"
* Scooby Brainiac says "Be still, oaf!" instead of "Hush now, buffoon!"
* Instead of "This is a highly combustable synthesis.", Scooby Brainiac says "That's a highly combustable synthesis."
* Buff Shaggy immediately realizes what Scooby Brainiac is doing, not needing to ask what he's talking about.
	+ The lines "A wha?" and "I'm going to transform us back!" are skipped.
* Scooby Brainiac never says "what?" when Buff Shaggy grabs his potion.
* Velma never says "Let's go!"
* Fred never says "Careful, gang."
* There would have been a shot of Fred, Daphne, and Velma finding the secret elevator in the abandoned sliver plant. In the final scene, it simply cuts to them already in the lab.
	+ The three also notice Buff Shaggy and Scooby Brainiac as they enter.
* Scooby Brainiac calls Buff Shaggy a "dithering buffoon" and not a "schwarzeneggian oaf."
* Scooby Brainiac says "Here, fool -- imbibe!" and not "Oh, you are embarrassing."
* Scooby Brainiac grabs Buff Shaggy's throat to pour the antidote into his mouth instead of throwing it.
* Scooby says "I inrented a rotion!" before Daphne scolds them instead of after.
	+ Fred doesn't understand what Scooby says, and looks to Daphne who clarifies he said "he invented a potion".
* Shaggy apologizes in this scene, which he doesn't in the film.

## Comparisons to Other Versions

Although very different from the original version, it bares a resemblance to other versions of the scene. These adaptations are usually developed alongside the films so they can release at the same time. As a result, many of the differences between these and the final scene are actually due to the retaining elements form the original script that were changed in the final scene.

Many lines and moments from this draft are used word for word in Chapter 11 (Shaggy). Most notably, the inclusion of Yao Ming Scooby, something no other adaptation included. However unlike the script, Monster Scooby is not in the book. Other differences include the filmiing equpiment being inspected rather than the door to the Monster Hive.

The Randamonim mentioned in the script is found in Mutate Madness. Scooby also describes the potion as yogurt (not lemonade) and transformations in this version are also refered to as "mutations". Aside from that, it is still largely different from the script, just as it is from the final scene. Most of the dialogue is changed and Shaggy never transforms.

Other versions contain some elements more similar to the script than the film, but heavily condense the scene so much that it's impossible to tell if it was intentional or not. Many use stills from the film, so it's likely those were made far into production, rather than early on.

## Characters

* Shaggy
* Scooby-Doo
* Fred
* Daphne
* Velma

## Transformations

* Monster Scooby (referred to as "SCOOBY-MONSTER")
* Yao Ming Scooby (referred to as just "YAO MING")
* Shaggy Chick
* Buff Shaggy (referred to as "SHAGGY-BUFF")
* Scooby Brainiac (referred to as "SCOOBY-GEEK")

## Potions

* "Yogurt" Potion
* "Medicinal" Potion
* Turquoise Potion (split into two different beakers)
* "Highly Combustible" Potion
* Antidote

## Transcript

*See May 26th 2003 Script Draft/Transcript*