The Famous Five and Scooby-Doo Share Common Ground, Says Filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn

Rising to fame with his not so family-friendly movies like Drive, Only God Forgives, and The Neon Demon, Nicolas Winding Refn reveals the unexpected inspirations behind adapting Enid Blyton's iconic The Famous Five during a recent interview with Deadline.

“Scooby-Doo had something that just magically transported me into this adventure land,” he explained. “I’ve always liked the concept of not really wanting to be an adult; staying in ‘adventure land’ forever,” added Winding Refn. “The Famous Five feels like one of the very few things that you literally hand down the generations.”

The filmmaker's poignant take on The Famous Five monumentalises the timeless children's classics that offer a nostalgic rendition of British rural life mixed with youthful adventures.

Co-creator Matthew Read finds Refn's visionary approach apt for modernising the nostalgic series. “To bring these stories to the screen and make them relevant for a modern audience, I was very aware you needed someone with real vision,” said Read.

Stay tuned for more about Nicolas Winding Refn’s ventures, including more about his character in Death Stranding and opinion on The Neon Demon.

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