Producers of the new Scooby Doo film - an adaptation of a children's cartoon series - has cut a scene featuring a kiss between two of its female characters to make it appropriate for family viewing.
Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred, Linda Cardellini as Velma, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy and Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne in Warner Brothers 'Scooby Doo.'
Fans have long speculated that Velma the no-nonsense brains of the ghost busting operation is a lesbian while Shaggy, played by Matthew Lillard, has a penchant for smoking pot.
The original script reportedly featured a scene in which Fred gazed lustfully at Daphne while she leaned over him to load luggage into an airplane's overhead bin. The camera then caught Velma, ogling her too before they kissed.
"At the film's first screening the censors were horrified by the kissing scene. They were shocked and said it was highly inappropriate for family viewing. It has now been edited out and will not be seen." A source from the film's production team said.
Screenwriter James Gunn confirmed that the kiss was filmed but cut in the final edit and said that Velma's sexual orientation was a lot more explicit in the script. "There's a good chance that Velma's gay. I mean, I think she's gay."
The £70 million film also stars Sarah's fiancé Freddie Prinze Jnr as Fred while Scooby is computer-animated. Reggae star Shaggy, who was named after the cartoon character, provides the film soundtrack.