Despite receiving mixed-to-negative reviews, the live-action Scooby-Doo movies remain beloved among fans of the Mystery Inc. gang. A threequel appears to be off the table, but Variety (via Toonado.com) is reporting that a new live-action TV series is in the works and heading to Netflix.
No plot details have been revealed, but the one-hour drama project is nearing a deal at the streamer with a script-to-series commitment. Based on the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon of the same name, Warner Bros. Television is producing the project with Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg (Cowboy Bepop) serving as writers and executive producers.
André Nemec and Jeff Pinkner will also executive produce under their Midnight Radio banner, while Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Leigh London Redman will take on the same role through Berlanti Productions.
Berlanti is best known for his DC TV work and was behind Netflix's recently released Dead Boy Detectives. He's also produced the likes of You, Riverdale, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina for the streamer.
2002's Scooby-Doo, starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, and Linda Cardellini, earned $250 million at the worldwide box office. The sequel, Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed, earned $180 million.
We're guessing most of you have probably forgotten the TV movie Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins which starred Kate Melton, Hayley Kiyoko, Robbie Amell, and Nick Palatas (the cast returned a year later for a sequel of their own titled Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster).
We recently caught up with Lillard and, while his time as the live-action Shaggy has ended, he did confirm he's working on more animated projects and shared what the character has come to mean to him.
"For me, being Shaggy for so many years and holding space for that part while honouring Casey Kasem, I know eventually I’ll pass that part to the next generation as he did. I’m honoured to do that for as long as they’ll have me. Scooby-Doo is always in cycle in some capacity or another. We’re either doing a cartoon or a movie or a commercial for something."
"There are a million different iterations of it and something is always in the works," he added. "I’ve had the privilege and honour of being that voice for the last 16 or 17 years, so I will hold on to that as long as I can."
This new take on Scooby-Doo can either adapt the animated series or do something drastically different like pick up with older versions of the characters years after Mystery Inc. disbanded.
Hopefully, we'll learn more about Netflix's plans for the franchise soon. In the meantime, let us know your thoughts on this news in the comments section below.