Picture: Warner Bros. / Grace Mckenna
Mystery Inc. is officially heading to Netflix. In a major move for the streamer, Netflix confirmed in March 2025 that it had greenlit a brand new live-action adaptation of Scooby-Doo!. Here is a comprehensive, updated look at everything we know about the new series, from the creative team behind it to the plot details and the latest casting and production updates.
While Scooby-Doo has been a pop culture staple since the late 1960s, spanning countless animated iterations and the cult-classic live-action films of the early 2000s, this marks the first time the franchise will be adapted into a live-action television series. Not live-action overall, of course, with Warner Bros. Pictures releasing two movies in the early 2000s that brought the characters to life. Although they were widely panned at their release, they’ve since become cult hits.
The journey to the screen has been a year in the making. The trades first reported the project in April 2024, but Netflix officially confirmed the greenlight for the yet-to-be-titled series in March 2025.
Who is behind the new Scooby-Doo series?
The series is a heavyweight collaboration between Warner Bros. Television and Netflix. The creative team is led by Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg, who will serve as both showrunners and writers. They operate under their Midnight Radio banner (alongside executive producers André Nemec, Sarah Schechter, and Jeff Pinkner). Netflix subscribers may recognize Midnight Radio as the team behind the live-action Cowboy Bebop adaptation. They are also known for the MGM+ hit series From and writing credits on Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
Producing powerhouse Greg Berlanti is also an executive producer via Berlanti Productions (Sarah Schechter and Leigh London Redman are also EPs). Berlanti has a massive history with Warner Bros. TV (known for the Arrowverse, You, and Riverdale) and shared a personal connection to the franchise in a statement:
“One of my first and favorite jobs in Hollywood was sitting with Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera while they signed animation cells. Josh and Scott and everyone at Midnight Radio have crafted a story that captures their amazing spirits and their genius creation.”
Netflix’s Ted Biaselli is orchestrating things on the executive level at Netflix.
What’s the official title for Netflix’s Scooby Doo series?
Netflix has yet to officially confirm this, simply referring to it still as Untitled Scooby Doo! Live-Action series. However, in issue 1484 of Production Weekly, that’s when we first learned of the expected official title: SCOOBY DOO: ORIGINS.
What is the plot of the new Scooby-Doo series?
Netflix is dubbing the show a “modern reimagining,” and official press materials provide a clear picture of the story.
It appears this series will serve as an origin story, but with a twist on how the gang meets. Unlike previous iterations, where they are often established friends, this version features a “new kid” in town.
The official synopsis for the 8-episode series is as follows:
“A modern reimagining of the iconic mystery-solving group of teens and their very special dog. 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.
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.”
Additional plot details are available in a synopsis published by Production Weekly. However, it’s unclear if this alternate logline is official and if all the details are correct:
“An origin story of how the Mystery Inc. group got together and first teamed up to crack the haunting case that started it all. During their final summer at Camp Ruby-Spears, 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.
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.”
We also know the script for Episode 1 is simply titled: “SCOOBY-DOO.”
While early live-action adaptations (like the 2002 film penned by James Gunn) leaned into campy comedy, sources indicate this Netflix iteration is aiming for a different vibe.
We are told the series is aiming for a Stranger Things tone. This likely means a mix of genuine scares, mystery, and a “bright and bold aesthetic” that balances cartoon roots with lots of pop culture references while staying grounded and broad in appeal.
Who is starring in Netflix’s Scooby Doo series?
Cast of Netflix’s Scooby Doo and their animated counterparts
Confirmed to appear are the core five: Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, Shaggy Rogers, and Scooby-Doo.
Following a flurry of recent announcements, the core Mystery Inc. gang has officially been assembled! Aligning with the logline regarding their “final summer at camp,” the production actively cast age-appropriate actors for the leads (aged 14 to 17). This is a noticeable shift from the early 2000s movies, which cast actors in their mid-20s to early 30s.
Here is the current confirmed lineup for the live-action series:
- Daphne Blake will be played by Mckenna Grace (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, The Haunting of Hill House). Grace is no stranger to the franchise, having previously voiced Young Daphne in the 2020 animated movie Scoob!.
- Fred Jones will be played by Maxwell Jenkins, best known for his fan-favorite role as Will Robinson in Netflix’s Lost in Space and Prime Video’s Reacher.
- Velma Dinkley will be played by Abby Ryder Fortson (Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Ant-Man), stepping into the iconic orange turtleneck as the resident brainiac of the group.
- Shaggy Rogers will be played by up-and-coming actor Tanner Hagen (Lawmen: Bass Reeves).
Additionally, Emmy-winning actor Paul Walter Hauser (Cobra Kai, Black Bird) is signed up for a fascinating role: “Scooby’s original owner.” As we first scooped, and later confirmed, this character hints that the showrunners are digging deep into the franchise’s lore—or perhaps rewriting it entirely, exploring a deeper backstory for the Great Dane before he officially teams up with Shaggy.
As previously rumored by Nexus Point News, reports continue to indicate that franchise legend Frank Welker is attached to voice Scooby-Doo. The actor famously voiced Fred Jones beginning in 1969 and voiced Scooby-Doo in the live-action 2002 movie.
Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images
Production Status: When will it be released?
Following the March 2025 greenlight, things went quiet until late Summer 2025.
There was a brief moment of confusion in August 2025 regarding the timeline. In a Variety interview with Warner Bros. TV Group’s Channing Dungey, a quote originally suggested the series was “coming up a little bit later this fall.” That line was quickly scrubbed from the article, suggesting it was either a misquote or an overly optimistic slip-up regarding a release or production window.
So, when does filming start? We originally provided an update stating that the series was eyeing a Q1 2026 start. Now, the cameras are officially gearing up to roll starting April 27, 2026. Furthermore, we know the new show’s filming location will be in Atlanta, Georgia, and production is scheduled to run through September 10, 2026.
That location is, of course, where Stranger Things filmed throughout most of its production, so there’s another parallel.
The series is using the production working title of Talbot Pines.
This location fact was previously confirmed by Rosenberg on Instagram, posting on December 2nd that they were location scouting for their new series. In the post, Rosenberg writes, “Josh Appelbaum and I are on a scout this week in Atlanta for a new show we will be shooting here soon. Well, today we found ourselves in the lovely town of Madison, Georgia. The very spot that – exactly 19 years ago – played the role of sleepy Knights Ridge, Massachusetts, in your favorite ABC TV, low-key classic, “OCTOBER ROAD”!”
Picture Credit: Scotty Rosenberg / Instagram
Ahead of filming starting, all four of the main cast members posted that they were together ahead of filming.
Given that production is occupying the middle block of 2026, we likely won’t see the series drop on Netflix until at least 2027.
Are you excited for the Scooby-Doo live-action series on Netflix and the new cast? Let us know in the comments.
