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{{Infobox film
| name        = Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island
| image       = Scooby-doo-on-zombie-island.jpg
| alt         =
| caption     = Promotional poster
| director    = Jim Stenstrum
| producer    = Cos Anzilotti
| story       = Glenn Leopold<br>[[Davis Doi]]
| screenplay  = [[Glenn Leopold]]
| based_on    = {{Based on|[[List of Scooby-Doo characters|Characters]]|[[Hanna-Barbera]] Productions}}
| starring    = <!-- Per poster order. -->{{Plainlist|
* [[Adrienne Barbeau]]
* [[Mary Kay Bergman]]
* [[Jim Cummings]]
* [[Scott Innes]]
* [[Mark Hamill]]
* [[B. J. Ward (actress)|B. J. Ward]]
* [[Frank Welker]]
* [[Billy West]]
}}
| music       = [[Steven Bramson]]
| editing     = Paul Douglas
| studio      = [[Hanna-Barbera|Hanna-Barbera Cartoons]]<br>[[Warner Bros. Animation]]<br>[[Warner Bros. Family Entertainment]]
| distributor = [[Warner Home Video]]
| released    = {{Film date|1998|9|22|}}
| runtime     = 77 minutes
| country     = United States
| language    = English
}}
'''''Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island''''' is a 1998 American [[direct-to-video]] [[Animation|animated]] [[Mystery film|mystery]] [[comedy horror]] film based on the ''[[Scooby-Doo]]'' franchise. In the film, [[Shaggy Rogers|Shaggy]], [[Scooby-Doo (character)|Scooby]], [[Fred Jones (Scooby-Doo)|Fred]], [[Velma Dinkley|Velma]] and [[Daphne Blake|Daphne]] reunite after a year-long hiatus from Mystery, Inc. to investigate a bayou island said to be haunted by the ghost of the pirate Morgan Moonscar. The film was directed by Jim Stenstrum and written by [[Glenn Leopold]], based on a story by Leopold and [[Davis Doi]].

''Scooby-Doo''{{'}}s popularity had grown in the 1990s due to reruns aired on [[Cartoon Network]]. The channel's parent company, [[WarnerMedia|Time Warner]], suggested developing a direct-to-video (DTV) film on the property. The team at Hanna-Barbera, collaborating with [[Warner Bros. Animation]] (which was in the process of absorbing Hanna-Barbera at the time), consisted of many veteran artists and writers. Many of the original voice actors of the series were replaced for the film, although [[Frank Welker]] returned to voice [[Fred Jones (Scooby-Doo)|Fred Jones]]. It was also the first of four ''Scooby-Doo'' direct-to-video films to be animated overseas by Japanese animation studio [[Mook Animation]]. [[Rock music|Rock]] bands [[Third Eye Blind]] and [[Skycycle (rock band)|Skycycle]] contribute to the film's [[Soundtrack album|soundtrack]]. The film is dedicated to [[Don Messick]], Scooby-Doo's original voice actor who died in October 1997.

''Zombie Island'' contains a darker tone than most ''Scooby-Doo'' productions, and is notable for containing real supernatural creatures rather than people in costumes. The film was released on September 22, 1998, and is notable for being the first ''Scooby-Doo'' production featuring the entire adult gang (sans [[Scrappy-Doo]]) since ''[[The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries]]'' episode ''A Halloween Hassle at Dracula's Castle'', which premiered on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] on October 27, 1984. The film was aided by a $50 million promotional campaign, and sponsorship deals with multiple companies. Sales of the film on [[VHS]] were high, and it became the first in a long-running series of DTV ''Scooby-Doo'' films. The film made its first TV debut on October 31, 1998, on [[Cartoon Network]].

A sequel, ''[[Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost]]'', was released in 1999, while two decades after the film's release, Warner Bros. Animation developed a [[stand-alone sequel]]/[[retcon]] [[Reboot (fiction)|reboot]] ''[[Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island|Return to Zombie Island]]'' from a different creative team, released in 2019.

==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for feature films should be between 400 to 700 words only. -->
Mystery, Inc. go their separate ways after becoming bored of mystery-solving due to their monstrous culprits always being people in costumes. [[Daphne Blake]], along with [[Fred Jones (Scooby-Doo)|Fred Jones]], becomes the star of a successful reality television series, determined to hunt down a real ghost rather than a fake one. Sometime later, Fred contacts [[Velma Dinkley]], [[Shaggy Rogers]] and his dog [[Scooby-Doo (character)|Scooby-Doo]] to reunite for Daphne's birthday. The gang then embark on a road trip scouting haunted locations across the U.S. for Daphne's show, only to encounter more fake monsters.

After arriving in [[New Orleans, Louisiana]], the gang are invited by a woman named Lena Dupree to visit her workplace at Moonscar Island, an island allegedly haunted by the ghost of its pirate namesake, Morgan Moonscar. Though they are skeptical, the gang agrees. On the island, they meet ferryman Jacques, Lena's employer Simone Lenoir, who lives in a large mansion on a pepper [[plantation]], Simone's gardener Beau, and resident fisherman, Snakebite Scruggs. Shaggy and Scooby then encounter Moonscar's ghost, who later becomes a [[zombie]], while the gang receives several ghostly warnings to leave. Despite this, they stay overnight, still skeptical.

That night, Shaggy and Scooby are chased by a horde of zombies. Velma suspects Beau, while Fred and Daphne capture a zombie. Fred believes it is a human culprit until he pulls its head off, revealing that the zombies are real. As the horde chases them, the gang gets separated and Daphne accidentally causes Fred to drop his video camera in [[quicksand]], losing all film evidence for their show. In a cave, Shaggy and Scooby discover wax [[voodoo doll]]s resembling Fred, Velma, and Daphne and play with them, unknowingly controlling their friends until the pair disturb a nest of bats.

The rest of the gang and Beau then discover a secret passageway in the house, where Lena claims the zombies dragged Simone away. The passageway leads to a secret chamber for [[Louisiana Voodoo|voodoo]] rituals, where Velma confronts Lena about her lie, having seen Simone's footprints instead of drag marks. After trapping the gang with the voodoo dolls, Simone and Lena reveal themselves and Jacques as [[werecat]]s. Simone explains that 200 years ago, she and Lena were part of a group of settlers on the island who worshiped a cat god. When Moonscar and his crew invaded the island, they chased the settlers into the [[bayou]], where they were eaten alive by alligators, but Simone and Lena escaped. They prayed to their god to curse Moonscar and were transformed into immortal werecats. They killed the pirates, but later realized that invoking their god's power had also cursed them. Every [[harvest moon]] since, the two have lured and exploited victims to drain their lives and preserve their immortality, hiring Jacques along the way to facilitate their plot in exchange for making him immortal, with the zombies and ghosts being their previous victims who awaken every harvest moon to try and scare people away, in the hopes of preventing them from suffering the same fate.

While being chased by Jacques, Shaggy and Scooby disrupt the werecats' draining ceremony, allowing the gang to free themselves. The werecats then surround the gang, but realize too late that the harvest moon has passed, causing them to disintegrate to dust and finally put the zombies' souls to rest. Beau then reveals himself as an undercover police officer who was sent to investigate disappearances on the island. Daphne asks Beau to guest star on her show, before everyone leaves the next morning.

==Voice cast==
{{Main|List of Scooby-Doo characters{{!}}List of ''Scooby-Doo'' characters}}
* [[Scott Innes]] as [[Scooby-Doo (character)|Scooby-Doo]], a talking [[Great Dane]] who is Mystery Inc.'s Mascot who works as a [[U.S. Customs]] dog.
* [[Billy West]] as [[Shaggy Rogers]], a member of Mystery Inc. who is Scooby-Doo's owner and works as a U.S. Customs agent; West also voices Pierre.
* [[Mary Kay Bergman]] as [[Daphne Blake]], a member of Mystery Inc. who hosts her show called ''Coast to Coast with Daphne Blake''.
* [[Frank Welker]] as [[Fred Jones (Scooby-Doo)|Fred Jones]], the de facto leader of Mystery Inc. who works on Daphne Blake's show as her cameraman; Welker also voices Simone Lenoir's cats, the owl, and one of the zombies.
* [[B. J. Ward (actress)|B. J. Ward]] as [[Velma Dinkley]], a member of Mystery Inc. who owns a bookshop.
* [[Adrienne Barbeau]] as Simone Lenoir, the leader of the werecats.
* [[Tara Strong]] as Lena Dupree, a werecat who lured Mystery Inc. to the island. (Credited as Tara Charendoff)
* [[Cam Clarke]] as Detective Beau Neville, a police detective who was sent to Moonscar Island undercover as a gardener to investigate the disappearance of its visitors.
* [[Jim Cummings]] as Jacques, a werecat who serves as Simone and Lena's ferry driver; Cummings also voices Colonel Jackson T. Pettigrew, Morgan Moonscar (and his zombie self) and the plantationer in a flashback.
* [[Mark Hamill]] as Snakebite Scruggs, a hostile resident on Moonscar Island who attempts to catch a [[catfish]] called Big Mona; Hamill also voices the airport manager for whom Shaggy and Scooby work before Mystery Inc. gets back together.
* [[Jennifer Leigh Warren]] as Chris, a hostess on Daphne's show.
* [[Ed Gilbert]] as Mr. Beeman, a real estate agent who is unmasked as the Moat Monster at the beginning of the film. This was Gilbert's final film role before his death the following year.

==Production==
===Origins and story===
[[File:BayouLafourche.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[Bayou Lafourche]] in Louisiana]]
The ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise, which by the time of this film's release was nearing its 30-year mark, had entered into a period of diminishing returns in the early 1990s. After the conclusion of the sixth iteration of the series, ''[[A Pup Named Scooby-Doo]]'', the character became absent from [[Saturday morning cartoons|Saturday-morning]] lineups. In 1991, [[Turner Broadcasting System]] purchased [[Hanna-Barbera]], the animation studio behind ''Scooby'', largely to fill programming at a new, 24/7 cable channel centered on animated properties: [[Cartoon Network]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/19/business/the-media-business-turner-broadcasting-plans-to-start-a-cartoon-channel.html|title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Turner Broadcasting Plans To Start a Cartoon Channel|first=Bill|last=Carter|date=February 19, 1992|work=The New York Times|access-date=July 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001120031/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/19/business/the-media-business-turner-broadcasting-plans-to-start-a-cartoon-channel.html|archive-date=October 1, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> The advent of cable gave the franchise renewed popularity: rapidly, ''Scooby'' reruns attracted top ratings.<ref name="awn1">{{cite web|url=https://www.awn.com/animationworld/nine-lives-scooby-doo|title=The Nine Lives of Scooby-Doo|first=John|last=Cawley|date=December 20, 2006|work=Animation World Magazine|access-date=July 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727162119/https://www.awn.com/animationworld/nine-lives-scooby-doo|archive-date=July 27, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Zombie Island'' was not the first attempt at a feature-length ''Scooby'' adventure; several [[television film]]s were produced in the late 1980s starring the character, such as ''[[Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School]]''. In 1996, Turner merged with [[Time Warner]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Turner To Merge Into Time Warner; A $7.5 Billion Deal|first=Mark|last=Lander|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/23/us/turner-to-merge-into-time-warner-a-7.5-billion-deal.html|date=September 23, 1995|work=The New York Times|access-date=July 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513030130/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/23/us/turner-to-merge-into-time-warner-a-7.5-billion-deal.html|archive-date=May 13, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Davis Doi]], in charge at Hanna-Barbera, was tasked with developing projects based on the studio's existing properties. Warner executives suggested ''Scooby'', given that the property held a high [[Q Score]], and proposed it could be a [[direct-to-video]] feature film.<ref name="pod1"/>

The team assembled to work on the production were veterans of the animation business, and had most recently worked on ''[[SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron]]'' and ''[[The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest]]''.<ref name="pod1"/> Screenwriter Glenn Leopold had been with the franchise since 1979's ''[[Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1979 TV series)|Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo]]''. The film was directed by Jim Stenstrum, who had worked on ''Scooby'' projects beginning in 1983's ''[[The New Scooby Doo Mysteries|The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show]]''. As the film was considered a one-off experiment by studio brass, the crew worked with little oversight and complete creative freedom. Doi and Leopold developed the film's story, with Leopold receiving sole credit for the screenplay.<ref name="dvdreview">{{cite news|url=http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/scoobyzombie.php|title=''Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island'' - DVD Review|first=Michael|last=Stailey|work=DVD Verdict|access-date=March 21, 2003|date=March 21, 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031013130912/http://dvdverdict.com/reviews/scoobyzombie.php|archive-date=October 13, 2003|url-status=live}}</ref> Most of the script is recycled from Leopold's script for the unfinished ''[[SWAT Kats]]'' episode "The Curse of Kataluna".<ref name="pod2"/> Stenstrum and Doi suggested in early story meetings that the monsters in the film be real (previous ''Scooby'' outings were nearly always "bad guys" in rubber masks), feeling it worked for a half-hour television episode, but might grow tiresome over a feature-length film. Leopold disagreed, noting that throughout the franchise's history, it always remained a simple, solvable mystery. Lance Falk, who worked as model coordinator on the film, suggested they combine both ideas.<ref name="pod2">{{cite AV media|people=Jozic, Mike (interviewer); Falk, Lance (interviewee)|date=March 8, 2017|title=APNSD! Episode 04: Interview With Lance Falk|url=https://scoobydoocast.libsyn.com/episode-04-interview-with-lance-falk-part-2|medium=Podcast|access-date=July 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728170338/https://scoobydoocast.libsyn.com/episode-04-interview-with-lance-falk-part-2|archive-date=July 28, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Casting===
[[Casey Kasem]] was originally set to reprise his role as Shaggy, but Kasem, a [[Vegetarianism|vegetarian]], had refused to voice Shaggy in a 1995 [[Burger King]] commercial and went on to demand that Shaggy also give up eating meat in future productions.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Casey Kasem: The Voice of America|url=https://time.com/2878606/casey-kasem-the-voice-of-america/|access-date=2021-08-29|magazine=Time|date=15 June 2014 |language=en}}</ref> The creative team rejected this, as eating anything was a hallmark of the character. Additionally, production on ''Zombie Island'' had already begun, with the film featuring a scene with Shaggy eating [[Crayfish as food|crawfish]]. Shaggy was then recast with voice actor [[Billy West]]. Kasem was given a last-minute opportunity to fill the role and redub over West, but he made yet another refusal.<ref name="pod1">{{cite AV media|people=Jozic, Mike (interviewer); Falk, Lance (interviewee)|date=February 7, 2017|title=APNSD! Episode 03: Interview With Lance Falk|url=https://scoobydoocast.libsyn.com/episode-03-interview-with-lance-falk-part-1|medium=Podcast|access-date=July 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728170339/https://scoobydoocast.libsyn.com/episode-03-interview-with-lance-falk-part-1|archive-date=July 28, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Radio personality [[Scott Innes]] voiced Scooby-Doo, as [[Don Messick]], the character's original voice actor, retired in 1996 and died in 1997; ''Zombie Island'' was subsequently dedicated to his memory. [[Heather North]] was also set to reprise her role as Daphne, but after a day of recording, [[Mary Kay Bergman]] replaced her, while [[B. J. Ward (actress)|B. J. Ward]], who played Velma in a ''[[Johnny Bravo]]'' crossover episode, reprised her role for this film.

[[Frank Welker]] is the only actor from the original series to reprise his role, as Fred Jones. Welker had initially worried that the producers would replace him as well, given that the producers believed his voice had gone down an [[octave]]; the voice director kept requesting Welker perform the voice at a higher [[Pitch (music)|pitch]]. Welker insisted his voice was the same, as Fred's voice is very close to Welker's natural speaking voice. The team went back and viewed early ''Scooby-Doo'' episodes and found that Welker's impression was more or less the same. Bob Miller, of [[Animation World Network]], suggested that the reruns of ''Scooby-Doo'' aired on Cartoon Network perhaps gave the team a false idea of the character's voice, as the episodes were typically time-compressed (or sped-up) to allow more room for commercials, thus giving all of the show's audio a higher pitch.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.awn.com/animationworld/frank-welker-master-many-voices|title=Frank Welker: Master of Many Voices|date=April 1, 2000|first=Bob|last=Miller|work=Animation World Magazine|access-date=July 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805025201/https://www.awn.com/animationworld/frank-welker-master-many-voices|archive-date=August 5, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Animation===
Japanese animation studio [[Mook Animation]] were contracted to work on the film; Doi had a relationship with the team at Mook, as they had previously collaborated on ''SWAT Kats'' and ''Jonny Quest''. Hiroshi Aoyama and Kazumi Fukushima directed the overseas animation, but are not credited on the picture. The film was animated and is presented in standard [[1.33:1]] full frame format.<ref name=dvdreview/> The team were allowed more time to work on the film, as there was no real set schedule—just delivery to the [[home video]] department upon completion. The American crew re-designed the series cast for the film, giving them a fashion update. The team felt Fred and Daphne, with their [[Ascot tie|ascots]] and Fred's [[bell-bottoms]], felt very dated to the '60s (although the original designs were used in the opening scene). Fred wore a pair of jeans, a baby blue dress shirt, and a khaki vest. Daphne is seen wearing a suit, consisting of a purple skirt and purple suit jacket, her undershirt is green in accordance to her original color scheme, her headband is removed as well. The team also briefly changed Shaggy's shirt color to red and gave him sneakers, though they quickly relented, as they viewed his original outfit as more timeless.<ref name="pod2"/> Velma was also given very few changes, although her pleated skirt was replaced with a regular red skirt, her knee high socks are now rolled to the ankles and her shoes are sneakers, not the '60s styled Mary-Janes from her original design. Velma still sported an orange turtle neck sweater, and her color scheme was unchanged. The entire gang is seen in their original 1960s attire in the opening scene.

The group were trusted by the studio's management as they had worked together for a long time, and all involved on the film had a real passion for the project. Drew Gentle was the main background designer for the project, with Falk contributing to the film's [[Colorist|color key]]. Occasionally, the crew would hire freelance artists to contribute to ancillary designs. In addition, the group enlisted the assistance of [[Iwao Takamoto]], the original designer of Scooby-Doo, still on salary at Hanna-Barbera, for advising on scenes. Takamoto called the film "a good solid mystery", and storyboarded several sequences of interplay between Shaggy and Scooby.<ref>{{cite book|title= Iwao Takamoto: My life with a Thousand Characters|location=Jackson, Mississippi|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|isbn=9781604734775|author=Takamoto, Iwao|page=184|year=2009}}</ref>

===Music===
Composer [[Steven Bramson]], who is known for ''[[Tiny Toon Adventures]]'', ''[[JAG (TV series)|JAG]]'' and the ''[[Lost in Space (film)|Lost in Space]]'' film, scored and conducted the film. The soundtrack for the film features three songs composed specifically for the film. "The Ghost Is Here" and "It's Terror Time Again", both written by [[Glenn Leopold]], were performed by [[Skycycle (rock band)|Skycycle]]. The title track, "[[Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!]]", was performed by [[Third Eye Blind]].

{{Track listing
| all_writing = 
| all_lyrics = [[Glenn Leopold]]
| all_music = [[Tom Snow]], except track 1 written by David Mook and [[Ben Raleigh]]
| extra_column = Performer(s)
| title1 = Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
| length1 = 1:03
| extra1 = [[Third Eye Blind]]
| title2 = The Ghost Is Here
| length2 = 2:21
| extra2 = [[Skycycle (rock band)|Skycycle]]
| title3 = It's Terror Time Again
| length3 = 2:42
| extra3 = Skycycle
| total_length = 6:06
}}

==Release==
Originally, the film was planned to be released theatrically, but when Warner Bros. noticed the strong market on home media, particularly their successful direct-to-video animated Batman films, it was later decided to release the film on [[VHS]] on September 22, 1998, through [[Warner Home Video]].<ref name="herald">{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB4DB67EC52B618&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Ghosts, ''Goosebumps'' Celebrate Halloween|first=Jillian|last=Mapes|date=October 23, 1998|newspaper=[[Miami Herald]]|access-date=January 28, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024124859/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB4DB67EC52B618&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|archive-date=October 24, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-10-29-9810290125-story.html|title=SELECTION OF HALLOWEEN TITLES FOR PRESCHOOLERS GETS A BOOST|first=Donald|last=Liebenson|date=October 29, 1998|journal=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=July 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727162035/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-10-29-9810290125-story.html|archive-date=July 27, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Because of the cost of production, the tape retailed at $19.95, which was noticeably higher than other direct-to-video titles of that era.<ref name="nyt"/> Sales for the film exceeded the studio's expectations, according to a 1999 ''Billboard'' article.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-IDX/IDX/90s/1999/BB-1999-03-06-OCR-Page-0075.pdf|title=Toy Fair Provides Video Inspirations |author=Anne Sherber|date=March 6, 1999|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=85|access-date=October 7, 2017}}</ref> The film was later released on [[DVD]] on March 6, 2001, and later re-released in 2008 as a double-feature on DVD alongside the third direct-to-video ''Scooby'' film, ''[[Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders]]'' (2000).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.awn.com/news/zombie-and-alien-scooby-doo-dvd-tuesday|title=Zombie and Alien Scooby-Doo on DVD Tuesday|date=February 12, 2008|first=Annemarie|last=Moody|work=Animation World Magazine|access-date=July 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727162057/https://www.awn.com/news/zombie-and-alien-scooby-doo-dvd-tuesday|archive-date=July 27, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2024, the film was released on [[Blu-ray]] for the first time through the [[Warner Archive Collection]], packaged with the standalone sequel, ''Scooby Doo! Return to Zombie Island''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Warner Archive Announces April Releases |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=34218 |access-date=October 4, 2024 |website=Blu-ray.com}}</ref> In 2025, a collector's edition was released on Blu-ray from AV Entertainment, through their deal with [[Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment]]. The Blu-ray includes a behind-the-scenes booklet and an audio commentary track.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/home-video/3902637/scooby-doo-on-zombie-island-blu-ray/|title='Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island' Collector's Edition Blu-ray Coming This Halloween|date=September 23, 2025|first=Alex|last=DiVincenzo|work=Bloody Disgusting|access-date=September 24, 2025}}</ref>

The film was aided by a reportedly $50 million promotional push, as advertisers believed the character's iconic nature would generate strong sales, and deserved "equal visibility to a theatrical release."<ref name="awn">{{cite web|url=https://www.awn.com/news/newbie-scooby-movie|title=Newbie Scooby movie|date=September 24, 1998|work=Animation World Magazine|access-date=July 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727162035/https://www.awn.com/news/newbie-scooby-movie|archive-date=July 27, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Tie-ins included the [[Campbell Soup Company]],<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B2kiAQAAMAAJ&q=scooby+doo+on+zombie+island|title=N/A|date=1998|journal=[[Brandweek]]|volume=39|access-date=October 7, 2017|quote=Come fall, the theory could be tested with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, a direct-to-video release set to get a Warner Bros.-backed $50 million promotional push, with partners that include Campbell Soup, MCI, Lego and others.}}</ref> [[SpaghettiOs]],<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8AkEAAAAMBAJ&q=scooby+doo+on+zombie+island&pg=PA60|title=Kathy Smith Signs with Sony; Mystery Machine Rides Again|author=Eileen Fitzpatrick|date=August 8, 1998|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=60|volume=110|issue=32|access-date=October 7, 2017}}</ref> [[1-800-COLLECT]], [[Wendy's]], [[Lego]], and [[Cartoon Network]],<ref name="awn"/> who debuted the film on television on October 31, 1998, after a month themed after the series.<ref>{{cite news|title=Scooby's ''Zombie Island'' TV premiere is Halloween treat for lucky dog Innes|first=John|last=Wirt|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/theadvocate/access/35590751.html?dids=35590751:35590751&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+30,+1998&author=JOHN+WIRT&pub=Advocate&desc=Scooby%27s+Zombie+Island+TV+premiere+is+Halloween+treat+for+lucky+dog+Innes&pqatl=google|newspaper=[[The Advocate (Louisiana)|The Advocate]]|date=October 30, 1998|access-date=January 27, 2011}}{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Scooby-Doo, where . . . oh, there you are|first=Tom|last=Maurstad|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DM&p_theme=dm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0ED3DB071115EF3F&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|newspaper=[[The Dallas Morning News]]|date=October 31, 1998|access-date=January 27, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024124912/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DM&p_theme=dm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0ED3DB071115EF3F&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|archive-date=October 24, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> It was also promoted as part of the network's "Wacky Racing" sponsorship deal with [[Melling Racing]] in 1998, as the third of four paint schemes featured on the [[NASCAR]] [[NASCAR Cup Series|Winston Cup Series]] #9 [[Ford Taurus]] driven by then-rookie [[Jerry Nadeau]]. The paint scheme debuted at [[Richmond Raceway|Richmond International Raceway]] in the [[Federated Auto Parts 400|Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400]] on September 12, 1998, and was featured on the car through the [[NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race|Dura Lube Kmart 500]] at [[Phoenix Raceway|Phoenix International Raceway]] on October 25, 1998, for a total of seven races out of the thirty-three race schedule.<ref name="Racing-Reference">{{cite web |url=https://www.racing-reference.info/rquery?id=9&trk=t0&series=W&cn=1&yr=1998|title=Car number 9 in 1988 NASCAR Sprint Cup|work=Racing-Reference.info|access-date=7 April 2012}}</ref> The promotional push was, at the time, the biggest marketing support in Warner Bros. Family Entertainment's history.<ref name="awn"/>

==Reception==
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 89% based on nine reviews, with an average taking of 7.1/10.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/scoobydoo-on-zombie-island|title=''Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island''|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=February 25, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408071324/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/scoobydoo-on-zombie-island/|archive-date=April 8, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Donald Liebenson of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' described the film as "ambitious" and calls it "a nostalgic hoot [that] resurrects all the touchstones of the original cartoons."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-09-24-9809240311-story.html|date=September 24, 1998|title=Barking Up A New Tree|author=Donald Liebenson|access-date=October 7, 2017|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008025802/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-09-24/features/9809240311_1_scooby-doo-zombie-island-huckleberry-hound|archive-date=October 8, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''{{'s}} Joe Neumaier praised the film as "Fast, fun, and filled with knowing winks, the mystery honors the show’s beloved structure, but writ large."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1998/09/25/ew-reviews-scooby-doo-zombie-island/|date=September 25, 1998|title=EW reviews ''Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island''|author=Joe Neumaier|access-date=October 7, 2017|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007221331/http://ew.com/article/1998/09/25/ew-reviews-scooby-doo-zombie-island/|archive-date=October 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> A 1998 ''[[New York Times]]'' article by Peter M. Nichols complimented the film as "well-made."<ref name="nyt">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/18/movies/home-video-fall-zombies-and-ghosts.html|date=September 18, 1998|title=Home Video; Fall Zombies And Ghosts|author=Peter M. Nichols|access-date=October 7, 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003075802/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/18/movies/home-video-fall-zombies-and-ghosts.html|archive-date=October 3, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Lynne Heffley at the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' called the film "more entertaining than you'd expect, despite the familiar Saturday morning-type animation."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-oct-29-ca-37166-story.html|date=October 29, 1998|title=They're Just in Time for Halloween: Seasonal Treats to Delight Kids|first=Lynne|last=Heffley|access-date=July 27, 2019|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727151842/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-oct-29-ca-37166-story.html|archive-date=July 27, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

Michael Mallory at the ''Los Angeles Times'' credited it and its subsequent features for "[spinning] the characters into more modern treatments of action and horror, and toyed with [a] self-spoofing quality."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-may-05-ca-mallory5-story.html|date=May 5, 2002|title=What Will Scooby Do?|first=Michael|last=Mallory|access-date=July 27, 2019|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727162036/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-may-05-ca-mallory5-story.html|archive-date=July 27, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
Mariana Delgado of ''[[Collider (website)|Collider]]'' writes "a notable shift in tone and aesthetic departs from its source material [...] It's how the film injects the situation with enough realism to seem like a live-action horror film while still staying true to the animation."<ref name="Delgado 2021 n591">{{cite web | last=Delgado | first=Mariana | title=Why 'Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island' Is One of the Best & Scariest Films of the Franchise | website=Collider | date=September 1, 2021 | url=https://collider.com/best-scariest-scooby-doo-movie-zombie-island-reason-why/ | access-date=March 22, 2024}}</ref> A 2022 ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' ranking placed ''Zombie Island'' as the best ''Scooby'' offering, with Carson Burton claiming "The film is at once extremely rooted in the classics yet willing to do something never seen before [...] The greatest of them all, ''Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island'' gets everything right."<ref name="Wilson Chapman Chapman Burton 2022 l485">{{cite web | last1=Wilson Chapman | first1=Carson Burton | last2=Chapman | first2=Wilson | last3=Burton | first3=Carson | title=Zoinks! The 10 Best 'Scooby-Doo' Films, From 'Monsters Unleashed' to 'Zombie Island' | website=Variety | date=September 1, 2022 | url=https://variety.com/lists/scooby-doo-best-films-monsters-unleashed-zombie-island/scooby-doo-on-zombie-island-1998/ | access-date=March 22, 2024}}</ref>

==Sequel==
A standalone sequel, titled ''[[Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island]]'', had its world premiere at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] on July 21, 2019, followed by a digital release on September 3, 2019, and a DVD release on October 1, 2019.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://sdccblog.com/2019/07/warner-bros-home-entertainment-premieres-batman-hush-teen-titans-go-more-at-san-diego-comic-con-2019/ |title=Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Premiers 'Batman: Hush', 'Teen Titans Go!', More at San Diego Comic-Con 2019|website=San Diego Comic-Con Unofficial Blog|last1=Dixon|first1=Kerry|date=July 1, 2019|access-date=July 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190709215728/https://sdccblog.com/2019/07/warner-bros-home-entertainment-premieres-batman-hush-teen-titans-go-more-at-san-diego-comic-con-2019/|archive-date=2019-07-09|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{commons category}}
* {{IMDb title|166792}}

{{Scooby-Doo}}
{{H-B films}}
{{Warner Bros. animation and comics}}

[[Category:1998 films]]
[[Category:1998 American animated direct-to-video films]]
[[Category:1998 children's films]]
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[[Category:1990s comedy mystery films]]
[[Category:1990s mystery horror films]]
[[Category:1990s supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:American direct-to-video films]]
[[Category:American comedy horror films]]
[[Category:American comedy mystery films]]
[[Category:American haunted house films]]
[[Category:Animated films about cats]]
[[Category:American supernatural horror films]]
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[[Category:Warner Bros. Animation films]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. direct-to-video animated films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Jim Stenstrum]]
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[[Category:1998 English-language films]]
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[[Category:Animated films about zombies]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island|access_date=2026-03-05}}