A 2002 Sarah Michelle Gellar has starred in several acclaimed movies and shows over the course of her career. From her most iconic role as the eponymous Buffy the Vampire Slayer to classic movies like Cruel Intentions, Gellar has had a very successful career. Even with so many highlights, however, the actor has also had some relative misfires and mistakes.

One of Gellar's so-called misfires may not have been a mistake at all. After 22 years, a film Gellar starred in that was widely panned by critics is now experiencing a resurgence in popularity on the streaming service Max. The newfound popularity is a great sign in its own right, but it could even be an indication that Gellar should return to complete the trilogy that was planned but never came to fruition. If it is, Gellar could soon return to the big screen and the iconic Mystery Machine.

Scooby-Doo 2002's Streaming Popularity Shows That Scooby-Doo 3 Needs To Finally Happen

Scooby-Doo Still Has Fans That Want To See A Third Movie

Now, after 22 years, the live-action Scooby-Doo (2002) is trending on Max. The fact that Scooby-Doo is still popular enough to top Max's charts after two decades proves that there's still a very large audience that would be willing to see a third installment to round out a trilogy. Scooby-Doo and its sequel, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, have had a cult following for years, and there have been calls for the cast to reunite for nearly as long as the movies have been out. The film's recent spike in popularity, however, could be an indication that it has more than just a cult following.

The timing would also be perfect for Scooby-Doo 3 now more than ever. Its resurgence in popularity is proof that the fans who loved the original Scooby-Doo still have a desire for it, which would give Scooby-Doo 3 a built-in audience. Additionally, by nature of being a kid's movie, Scooby-Doo 3 would draw in an entire new generation of young audience who weren't even alive for the previous live-action adaptations. As an added bonus, returning to the live-action franchise would correct a 20-year-old mistake that doomed Scooby-Doo 3 in the first place.

Why Scooby-Doo 3 Was Canceled After 2004's Monsters Unleashed

Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed Suffered At The Box Office & Behind-The-Scenes

Even though the live-action Scooby-Doo is still popular to this day, the franchise fizzled out when it was originally released. After Monsters Unleashed, there were plans for a third installment in the series, but Scooby-Doo 3 was canceled. The main reason for Scooby-Doo 3's cancelation seems to be its underwhelming box office returns: it made just $181 million worldwide compared to the original's $275 million, and it did far worse domestically (via Box Office Mojo). Warner Bros. likely canceled Scooby-Doo 3 because of the second installment's downward trend in revenue and its lower critical score - the original had 32% on Rotten Tomatoes, while Monsters Unleashed had 23%.

Aside from the decision by Warner Bros. to cancel Scooby-Doo 3, it seems that the studio itself may have been somewhat at fault. According to Matthew Lillard (via MovieWeb), Warner Bros. made some mistakes that limited how well Monsters Unleashed could do.

The second one didn't do as well as it was expected to do, and I completely hold that to Warner Brothers' fault. I think Warner Brothers made a mistake releasing it at the time they did [March 2004]. I think the movie's much better than the first movie, and I honestly thought it was going to do ridiculously good box office. But we had a bad timeslot. We had 13 movies open up in two weeks after we opened up. I mean, it did well, but it didn't do great, and it needed to do great.

Lillard wasn't the only star who had problems with Warner Bros., however. Freddie Prinze Jr. also told TooFab that he wouldn't do Scooby-Doo 3 because of Warner Bros. As Prinze Jr. said, "There was too much bait and switch on the first one, the studio was not honest with me in any way, shape or form. They were not straight forward in any way, shape or form." Prinze Jr. said that the script he signed on to film was completely different from the final version.

The Scooby-Doo Cast's Recent Horror Returns Perfectly Set Them Up For A Third Movie

Matthew Lillard, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, & Linda Cardellini Have Returned To Horror Films

As if they were preparing for a third Scooby-Doo installment, the main cast of the live-action movies have all returned to the horror genre in recent years. Matthew Lillard (Shaggy) recently starred in Five Nights at Freddy's, while Linda Cardellini (Velma) starred in 2019's The Curse of La Llorona. The rest of the cast is set to soon make their return to horror as well, as Freddie Prize Jr. (Fred) is set to star in the Dexter prequel Original Sin.

All four main actors in Scooby-Doo made horror movies prior to playing the Mystery Inc. . Lillard starred in Scream in 1996, Prinze Jr. starred in I Know What You Did Last Summer in 1997, Gellar starred in Buffy the Vampire Slayer from 1997 to 2003, and Cardellini had a role in 1998's Strangeland.

The fact that the entire main cast of Scooby-Doo has all come back to horror within five years of each other means there has never been a better time to reexamine Scooby-Doo 3's chances. The live-action Scooby-Doo movies are clearly still popular, and the actors seem to be willing to use their talent for horror again. Both the audience and the creators seem willing to make Scooby-Doo 3 happen, and it would really be a treat to see Sarah Michelle Gellar finish out her trilogy 22 years later.

Sources: Box Office Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes, MovieWeb, TooFab