Scoob! to Skip Theaters, Go Straight to Digital VOD

On Tuesday, Warner Bros. announced that animated feature film Scoob! will skip theaters and head straight to video in May. The film is a new take on the long-running Scooby-Doo franchise. It'll become available to rent on May 15th for $19.99 in the United States and Canada. It'll be available to buy for $24.99. May 15th was meant to be the film's theatrical opening, but the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has made the film the latest to change its plans. Trolls World Tour is another animated film that skipped its theatrical run due to the coronavirus. Pixar's Onward ended its run early and jumped to Disney+.

"While we're all eager to be able to once again show our films in theaters, we're navigating new, unprecedented times which call for creative thinking and adaptability in how we distribute our content," Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff said in a statement. "We know fans are eager to see Scoob and we're delighted we can deliver this feel-good movie for families to enjoy while they're home together."

In Scoob, "With hundreds of cases solved and adventures shared, Scooby and the gang face their biggest, most challenging mystery ever -- a plot to unleash the ghost dog Cerberus upon the world. As they race to stop this global dog-pocalypse, the gang discovers that Scooby has a secret legacy and an epic destiny greater than anyone could have imagined."

Scoob is directed by Tony Cervone from a screenplay by Adam Sztykiel, Jack Donaldson, Derek Elliott, and Matt Lieberman. The film's voice cast includes original Scooby-Doo voice Frank Welker, with Will Forte, Gina Rodriguez, Zac Efron, and Amanda Seyfried as the Scooby gang. The film also features Mark Wahlberg, Jason Isaacs, Kiersey Clemons, Ken Jeong and Tracy Morgan as other Hanna-Barbera animated characters.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to lots of studios reshuffling their biggest releases to open in theaters at later dates. A few have decided to forgo theatrical release altogether. Paramount Pictures sent its romantic comedy The Lovebirds to Netflix. Disney decided to release Artemis Fowl on Disney+. Some other films made early jumps to video, including Bloodshot and The Invisible Man.

Other summer movies have had their release dates moved. Superhero tentpoles Wonder Woman 1984 and Black Widow each moved their debuts back. Wonder Woman 1984 moved from June into August. Black Widow jumped from May into November.

What do you think of Scoob going direct to video? Let us know in the comments.