Yahoo Lifestyle ‘Scooby-Doo’ Live-Action Show Ordered to Series at Netflix With Eight Episodes
The “Scooby-Doo” live-action series is officially moving forward at Netflix, with the streamer picking up the show for eight episodes.
First reported to be in development at Netflix in April 2024 with a script-to-series commitment, the show will delve into how Mystery Inc. and their beloved Great Dane first teamed up together.
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As previously reported, Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg serve as writers and showrunners and will also executive produce along with André Nemec and Jeff Pinkner under their Midnight Radio banner. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Leigh London Redman will executive produce via Berlanti productions. Warner Bros. Television will produce. Berlanti Productions is currently under an overall deal at WBTV, with the studio controlling the rights to the Hanna-Barbera characters.
“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, vice president of scripted series for 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.”
The official logline for the show describes it as a modern reimagining of the popular cartoon show. “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,” the logline reads. “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.”
“One of my first and favorite jobs in Hollywood was sitting with Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera while they signed animation cells,” Berlanti 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!”
This will not be the first live-action Scooby-Doo project to make it to the screen. Most famously, “Scooby-Doo” was released in 2002 and starred Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, and Linda Cardellini, with Neil Fanning voicing Scooby. The film was a box office success, generating over $250 million worldwide. A sequel with the same cast, “Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed,” came out in 2004 and grossed over $180 million. There was also the live-action TV film “Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins” and its sequel that were released in 2009 and 2010.
There have also been a wide range of Scooby-Doo animated projects over the years, beginning with the original cartoon series in the late 1960s. Various incarnations have followed over the years, spanning multiple animated series and films. Most recently, the animated film ““Scoob! Holiday Haunt” was meant to be released on Max but was scrapped in a cost-cutting move. Max previously aired the animated series “Velma,” with Mindy Kaling voicing the bespectacled member of the Mystery Inc. gang, but the show was canceled after two seasons.
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with our longstanding partners at Berlanti Productions and with Midnight Radio to bring the legendary Scooby-Doo franchise to a live-action series for the first time,” said Clancy Collins White, president of creative affairs for Warner Bros. Television. “It’s no mystery why audiences continue to love these iconic characters after more than a half century. We’re excited for a new generation to discover Mystery Inc. And we’re grateful to our partners at Netflix for the opportunity.”
Netflix has made a push into adapting animated shows into live-action projects over the last several years. The streamer currently airs live-action versions of “One Piece” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” both of which are going into their second seasons. Netflix has also adapted shows like “Cowboy Bebop,” “Death Note,” and “Fullmetal Alchemist” into live-action.
Appelbaum and Rosenberg are repped by WME and Sloane Offer. Midnight Radio is repped by WME, Sloane Offer, and Ziffren Brittenham. Pinkner is repped by WME and Ziffren Brittenham. Berlanti is repped by CAA and Felker Toczek.
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