Netflix previously unmasked the lead stars of its live-action Scooby-Doo series, but the casting for one character remains a mystery: Scooby-Doo himself. In light of the streamer’s announcement that Paul Walter Hauser is now a series regular, it seems the Black Bird and The Fantastic Four: First Steps star may be stepping into the canine role.
No other details were shared, but he joins Mckenna Grace (Ghostbusters: Afterlife) as a young version of Daphne Blake, Tanner Hagen (The Pitt) as Shaggy Rogers, Abby Ryder Fortson (Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret) as Velma Dinkley, and Maxwell Jenkins (Lost in Space) as Fred Jones. The untitled show is described as “a modern reimagining” of the long-running cartoon and will run for eight episodes.
The logline reads, “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.”
Toby Haynes (Doctor Who, Black Mirror) is executive producing and directing the pilot episodes, with Warner Bros. on the producing front. Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg serve as showrunners, writers, and executive producers, alongside André Nemec and Jeff Pinkner under their Midnight Radio banner, as well as Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Leigh London Redman via Berlanti Productions.
The upcoming Scooby-Doo series currently has no release date. It won’t be the first time the Mystery Inc. crew is getting the live-action treatment, either – Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, and Linda Cardellini brought their characters to life in the 2002 film and its sequel, Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
