For a live-action origin series, Netflix is getting in the Mystery Machine with Scooby-Doo and Mystery Inc.
Get off your ascot, fix yourself a comically large sandwich, and put some gas in the Mystery Machine because Scooby and the gang are heading to Netflix! In a surprise announcement, Netflix debuted plans for an eight-episode live-action Scooby-Doo origin series! The project hails from Midnight Radio (Citadel: Honey Bunny, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Kangaroo Jack), Berlanti Productions, and Warner Bros. Television. We hear bidding for the live-action Scooby-Doo series was fierce, with Netflix ultimately offering enough Scooby Snacks to land the deal.
Midnight Radio‘s Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg (Cowboy Bebop) will pen the live-action Scooby-Doo series, which will feature the beloved Mystery Inc. gang created by Hanna-Barbera. According to Deadline’s write-up, the untitled Scooby-Doo series is an origin story recounting how the gang got together for their first haunting case.
“During their final summer at camp, old friends Shaggy and Daphne get embroiled in a haunting mystery surrounding a lonely lost Great Dane puppy that may have been a witness to a supernatural murder. Together with the pragmatic and scientific townie, Velma, and the strange, but ever so handsome new kid, Freddy, they set out to solve the case that is pulling each of them into a creepy nightmare that threatens to expose all of their secrets.”
Applebaum and Rosenberg will write the series and showrun it, with André Nemec and Jeff Pinkner executive producing through Midnight Radio. Meanwhile, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Leigh London Redman executive produce for Berlanti Productions courtesy of their deal with Warner Bros.
“Mystery, Inc. is back in business! We’re excited to bring Scooby-Doo to TV as a live-action series for the first time,” said Peter Friedlander, VP, Scripted Series, Netflix. “The beloved franchise has had an impact on pop culture that is undeniable — it’s rich with universal themes of friendship that generations of fans have long embraced. Together with creative powerhouses Berlanti Productions and Midnight Radio, we’re committed to delighting longtime fans and opening up a world of groovy adventures for a new era of meddling kids.”
Berlanti expressed his excitement about bringing Scooby and the gang back to their roots, saying, “One of my first and favorite jobs in Hollywood was sitting with Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera while they signed animation cells,” he said. “Josh and Scott and everyone at Midnight Radio have crafted a story that captures their amazing spirits and their genius creation. We are grateful to them and everyone at Warners and Netflix for the partnership in helping bring this iteration of Scooby-Doo to life!”
Created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, the animated series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! launched in 1969. The concept revolves around a talking Great Dane and his human companions, who make up the Mystery Inc. detective agency. When they’re not running from ghouls, ghosts, and monsters with razor-sharp teeth, Scooby and the gang test their wits, friendships, and resistance to the contents of stranger’s refrigerators around the spooky town of Coolsville.
Who should star as Shaggy, Daphne, Freddy, and Velma in Netflix’s live-action Scooby-Doo origin series? Let’s see your suggestions in the comments section below.
