Zoinks! The Mystery Inc. gang is getting the live-action treatment, and they are more than ready to solve new mysteries. Following the casting announcement of Ghostbusters: Afterlife‘s Mckenna Grace as Daphne Blake, Netflix has unmasked the other three lead stars of its live-action Scooby-Doo series.
Maxwell Jenkins, known for Lost in Space and Reacher, will play Fred. Abby Fortson (Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret) is set to portray Velma, joining Tanner Hagen (The Pitt) as Shaggy and Grace as a young version of the red/orange-haired character.
Described as a “modern reimagining” of the long-running cartoon, the untitled show is set to run for eight episodes. 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. Warner Bros. Television will produce, with Toby Haynes (Doctor Who, Black Mirror) tapped to executive produce and direct the pilot episode.
“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,” reads the logline. “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.”
No release date was announced for the Scooby-Doo series, but this won’t mark the mystery-solving crew’s first foray into live-action. The 2002 film starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, and Linda Cardellini grossed over US$250 million worldwide, and its sequel, Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed, proved equally popular with a US$180 million global haul. The original cartoon Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? premiered in 1969, with multiple animated series and films following since.
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.
The Baroness
