Velma Trailer: High School Can Be Hellish

Mindy Kaling's "Velma" is almost here, following the bespectacled mystery master in her high school years, before Mystery Inc. ever investigated its first ghost. The series' trailer has dropped and it makes the show look plenty spooky (with some gross gratuitous violence that had to be censored), while also being pretty darn funny. Featuring Kaling as Velma, Constance Wu as Daphne, Sam Richardson as Norville/Shaggy, and Glenn Howerton as Fred, "Velma" is clearly an adult take on the children's classic with some crass humor and more mature themes. It looks like one part "Venture Bros." and one part "Harley Quinn," so there's potential for "Velma" to be a rude, raucous ride like its animated predecessors.

The series is set to premiere on January 12, 2023 on HBO Max, and the final trailer has given us one last tiny taste of the frightening fun to come. Take a look below, and then check out "Velma" when it premieres to learn more about the history of the world's coolest cartoon crime-solvers.

Mindy Kaling was inspired to make her own version of Velma and the rest of the Scooby gang when she saw "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" and realized that reboots could work if they were made with a fresh perspective and the right motivations. Her take on Velma reflects her own life experiences, as Velma is South Asian-American like Kaling herself, and there's clearly going to be an effort to reflect Velma's queer identity as well. (Did anyone else notice that moment between her and Daphne? Get it, girls!) One thing fans definitely won't see is the zany Great Dane named Scooby Doo, because Kaling decided not to include him in the series. While removing the silly talking dog element makes the show a bit more mature, it also makes sense that the crew might not have Scooby just yet. It's possible we could see him in future seasons, maybe even as a cute little puppy adopted by Norville, but that's a mystery to which only Kaling knows the answer. 

I absolutely love "Harley Quinn," and if "Velma" can take a similar route, then it might be more fun than a whole barrel of partying poltergeists. Hopefully, "Velma" won't get too dark and cynical, because that's the kind of thing best left to Batman himself. We'll have to see when "Velma" (to reiterate) premieres tomorrow, January 12, on HBO Max, which I guess Velma thinks is also 420 since adults will be watching cartoons.