Why 'Scooby Doo on Zombie Island' is Actually a Remake of 'The Wicker Man'

Some of you may remember a little film from the 90's called Scooby Doo on Zombie Island, an animated feature that saw everyone's favourite mystery-solving dog head to a secluded island in Louisiana to investigate a number of zombie sightings. Not only is this one of the best animated films of the 90's, but it's also one of the best zombie films that doesn't involve George A. Romero (R.I.P). It has memorable animation, some banging tunes, and some surprisingly spooky moments, all wrapped up in an interesting little plot involving cat people and zombie pirates. It's darker than a lot of Scooby Doo material, but if offers something a little more mature for younger audiences which I feel is important for young fans of all things morbid.

Now cast your mind back to 1973, a year which saw the release of Robin Hardy's seminal folk horror The Wicker Man. The film followed Scottish police Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) as he set off to the outer Hebridean island of Summerisle in search of a missing girl named Rowan Morrison. Upon arriving on the island, the devout Christian Howie clashes with the pagan society of Summerisle and soon discovers the sinister truth behind Rowan's disappearance. It's a highly unsettling film immersed in paranoia, and has gone on to become one of the most acclaimed British horror films of all time, with special praise geared towards Christopher Lee's performance as Lord Summerisle. Now, what if I told you that Scooby Doo on Zombie Island is actually a remake of The Wicker Man? 'Hoopla' I hear you say, but hear me out, because there are some striking similarities between the two that I feel the need to point out. Be warned though, major SPOILERS for both films below..

The Premise

Okay, so first of all the basic premise. Zombie Island begins with Scooby (Scott Innes) and co. being called to the mysterious Moonscar Island in the bayous of Louisiana to investigate a series of supernatural phenomena taking place. It is a seemingly friendly invitation with no ulterior motive, prompting Mystery Inc. to accept the invitation. Of course, anyone who has seen the film knows that there is something much more sinister than zombies on Moonscar Island, but we'll get to that later..

Now The Wicker Man also begins with an investigator, this time Sgt. Howie, being called off to an island to investigate a mystery. The Island is Summerisle, a small island located in the outer Hebrides that is supposedly renowned for it's apples. Again, at first it seems like Howie's investigation is a perfectly normal one, but we all know there's much more at stake on Summerisle. So straight off the bat, both films involve individuals being called to an island to solve a mystery. As the film progresses however, we learn that there is a darker secret lying on each respective island waiting on the protagonists. Coincidence? Perhaps not..

Fish (or dog) Out of Water

When Scooby arrives on Moonscar Island, he realises that not only is he the only dog on the island, but that the islands owner Ms. Lenoir (horror legend Adrienne Barbeau) owns a large number of pet cats. This leaves Scooby as an outcast of sorts, mistrusted by Lenoir due to her cat-loving tendencies, which makes him feel a bit isolated on the island. It's not easy being a dog stuck in a world dominated by cats, as Scooby soon finds out.

Much like Scooby, Sgt. Howie is also isolated on Summerisle, only this time due to his religion. From the very beginning it is emphasised that Howie is a very religious man who takes Christianity very seriously. However, upon arriving on Summerisle, he realises that virtually everyone else on the island are members of some ancient pagan religion. Howie also feels isolated due to the lack of Christian values on the island, much like Scooby feels isolated on Moonscar Island due to the lack of canine values. 

A Sinister Seductress

The woman who initially invites Mystery Inc. to Moonscar Island is a young employee of Ms. Lenoir's named Lena (Tara Strong). Lena comes off as a friendly young woman, who becomes particularly close with the gangs leader Fred Jones (Frank Welker). Fred seems smitten with Lena, and she often confides in him when things start to get spooky, it seemed as though a strong attraction was forming between the two. However, in the final act it is revealed that Lena is less than friendly, and that her kind demeanor was merely a front for her sinister personality, we shall come to that in a while. 

When Howie arrives on Summerisle, he is introduced to the landlord's daughter, a beautiful young woman named Willow (Britt Ekland) who appears to take a liking to him. The celibate Howie finds it difficult to resist Willow's charms, and there is an infamous scene in which she sings to him from the room next to his, hoping to entice him. Howie struggles to maintain his celibacy around Willow and at one point almost breaks it. Towards the end, Willow is also revealed to be in on the overall conspiracy, much like Lena in Zombie Island. She too had become friendly and flirty with Howie, only to turn against him in the films final act.

Icons of Horror

As I have mentioned, Adrienne Barbeau takes on the role of Ms. Lenoir in Zombie Island, the owner of Moonscar Island and the films primary antagonist. Initially she comes across as friendly towards Mystery Inc. much like her employee Lena. However, she too has a sinister side that comes out towards the films climax. By the films release in 1998 Barbeau was already an established icon in the horror genre, starring in films such as The Fog and Creepshow while also being married to the horror master himself John Carpenter between 1979 and 1984. Casting her as the films antagonist brought a new layer of villainy to the character due to those prior links to the horror genre, and Barbeau is excellent at bringing out the different layers of Ms. Lenoir.

The Wicker Man also had a horror legend in the role of the antagonist, this time Dracula himself, Christopher Lee. The actor who had been most famous for his roles in countless Hammer horror films was looking to do a more grounded horror film, ultimately signing onto The Wicker Man. He also plays the owner of an island, Lord Summerisle, who acts as the films primary antagonist. Summerisle initially comes off as a charming man who is kind towards the rather stern Sgt. Howie, however, towards the end of the film it is clear that he will do anything to keep the gods happy. Lee brings his signature sense of sinister charm to the role, giving him a chance to really showcase his acting chops in comparison to some of his other roles. I believe it was one of his favourite roles.

It Was Pagans All Along

In the climax of Zombie Island, it is revealed that the residents of Moonscar Island all belong to a pagan cult that worship an ancient cat god, thus the abundance of cats on the island. After their island was pillaged by fearsome pirates, the cult members prayed to their god to give them the power to avenge their fallen companions. Ultimately, they were granted with the power to transform into fearsome, immortal cat people and took their revenge on the pirates. However, in order to maintain their immortality, Ms. Lenoir and co. had to lure people to the island every year and drain their lifeforces, the zombies being their former victims. Ultimately, Scooby and the gang defeat the cat people and put the lost souls of the zombies to rest for good, ending the film on a positive note. If only the same could be said for Howie..

Similarly, Summerisle is also populated by members of a pagan cult, although this is a given piece of information from the beginning. However, the big surprise comes at the end when it is revealed that Howie was called to the island for the purpose of being a sacrifice himself. It is revealed that the crops on Summerisle are failing, and Lord Summerisle believes that only a human sacrifice can please the gods of the harvest and save their crops. Howie fit their qualifications for a sacrifice and was called to the island in the beginning so that he could eventually be used as such. Both the people of Moonscar Island and Summerisle are part of pagan cults who have lured the protagonists to the island in order to eventually sacrifice them for their own personal gain. This is the most striking similarity between both films and is a major plot point in both The Wicker Man and Scooby Doo on Zombie Island. 

Okay, so maybe it's a bit of a stretch calling Scooby Doo on Zombie Island a remake of The Wicker Man, but both films bare striking similarities to one another that cannot be ignored. Both have vaguely similar plot involving individuals being called to a secluded island in order to investigate something, only to discover that they are part of a pagan cults sinister plot. It may not be a straight out remake of The Wicker Man, but Scooby Doo on Zombie Island was clearly influenced by the folk horror classic and borrows more than just a few elements from Hardy's film. Even at that, it's still a better remake than the Nick Cage Wicker Man, but let's not get into that. So next time you're thinking of sitting down to watch The Wicker Man or Zombie Island, why not watch both? Witness the similarities for yourselves.