Netflix Developing Live-Action Scooby-Doo TV Series
Berlanti Productions is involved with the new one-hour drama series.
The Mystery Machine might be racing across our television screens once again. On Monday, reports revealed that Warner Bros. Television and Netflix are nearing a deal on a live-action television adaptation of Scooby-Doo. While plot details remain under wraps, the series is believed to be a one-hour drama. Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg are creating the Scooby-Doo series, and would serve as writers and executive producers if the show becomes a reality. Other executive producers would include Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Leigh London Redman via Berlanti Productions, as well as André Nemec and Jeff Pinkner under Midnight Radio. Jonathan Gabay of Berlanti Productions and Adrienne Erickson would serve as co-executive producers.
If Scooby-Doo comes to fruition, it would be the latest in a recent string of collaborations between Warner Bros. and Netflix, which has already included the DC Vertigo-inspired series The Sandman and Dead Boy Detectives. Netflix already served as the home to many of Warner Bros. and Berlanti Productions' shows on The CW, including the network's previous Arrowverse of DC shows and the Archie Comics-inspired Riverdale. Time will only tell if this Scooby-Doo adaptation ends up being the franchise's answer to Riverdale, or if it will be a more straightforward retelling of the Hanna-Barbera source material.
What Shows Is Greg Berlanti Working on With Warner Bros.?
Berlanti inked a massive overall deal spanning through at least 2027, which aims to prioritize the individual success of each new Berlanti Productions show — a change of pace, after Berlanti previously had a record-breaking 13 shows on the air at the same time. This deal has already led to Dead Boy Detectives and the recent Max-exclusive series The Girls on the Bus, as well as The Secret to a Good Marriage, 3,000 Hours, TriBeCa, and Spoonbenders.
"Greg is a huge talent, and the impact of his prolific and powerful storytelling on Warner Bros. and audiences, and on our culture, is just 'wow,'" said Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "He began his career with us, and we are incredibly fortunate that he will continue to build and grow our TV studio into the future."
How Many Scooby-Doo Movies and Shows Are There?
The Scooby-Doo franchise has spawned an ever-growing number of movies and television shows, originating from the animated series in the 1960s. The franchise's cinematic presence has included 2002's Scooby-Doo and 2004's Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed, both of which were released in theaters. There was also the 2020 animated movie Scoob!, which was supposed to get a sequel in Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, before the finished film was scrapped due to tax-cutting initiatives for Warner Bros.
Over on the television side, Scooby-Doo has most recently inspired Velma, an adult animated series that just premiered its second season on Max. The series, which stars Mindy Kaling in the titular role, has been the subject of some controversy for its approach to the Scooby-Doo lore.
h/t: Variety
