Ruh Roh: A Scooby-Doo Live-Action Drama Series Is Coming To Netflix
Mystery Inc. rides again! Variety is reporting that the long-running "Scooby-Doo" franchise may be making a leap back to the live-action world, this time courtesy of Netflix. Sources tell the outlet that, unlike past versions of the Hanna-Barbera-created franchise, the new series won't be a comedic mystery but a one-hour drama series. Warner Bros. Television, which has been responsible for other dark teen-centric Netflix shows like "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" and "Dead Boy Detectives," is set to produce.
Though the deal apparently isn't set in stone yet, the untitled "Scooby-Doo" live-action project is apparently in talks to receive a script-to-series commitment, with the team from Arrowverse maestro Greg Berlanti's Berlanti Productions (which also helped bring the two above titles to life) set to produce. Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg, the creative duo that co-executive produced shows like Hulu's "High Fidelity" and MGM+'s underrated "From," are set to write for the series and executive produce along with the rest of the gang from their production company Midnight Radio. The show marks an abrupt change in priorities for Warner Bros. Discovery, which previously showed disinterest in its Saturday morning cartoon coterie when it permanently shelved both "Coyote vs. Acme" and the animated feature "Scoob! Holiday Haunt."
The new Scooby series will be a drama - which might just work
A dramatic take on "Scooby-Doo" may sound strange to casual fans of the franchise, but it's actually been pulled off — albeit in an unofficial capacity — before. The 2017 book "Meddling Kids," by Edgar Cantero, put a dark, R-rated spin on a story that was obviously inspired in large part by "Scooby-Doo," and became a New York Times bestseller in the process. Meanwhile, plenty of nostalgic properties about cheerful, plucky teens – from Archie Comics to Nancy Drew – have been turned into satisfyingly dark and zany series in recent years. As long as the series strikes a good tonal balance (even the spookiest entries in the Scoob canon still manage to be funny sometimes) and finds the right cast, it could be a uniquely fun installment in a franchise that's never been afraid to shake things up.
That being said, should the Netflix Scooby series come to fruition, its casting will surely be subject to scrutiny. For all its imperfections, the first live-action Mystery Inc. story, 2002's "Scooby-Doo," is still regarded as a feat of great casting. Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Freddie Prinze Jr. perfectly embodied the groovy monster-hunting group that first became famous in cartoon form in 1969. Since then, the franchise has attempted to create a live-action Mystery Inc. again a small handful of times, including with two TV movies starring Hayley Kiyoko, Robbie Amell, Kate Melton, and Nick Palatas. So far, key information about the live-action Netflix Scooby-Doo series, including its release date and title, has yet to be announced.