‘Scooby-Doo’ Live-Action Series From Berlanti Productions Lands At Netflix With Major Commitment

Nellie Andreeva
·3 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

A classic Warner Bros. IP is headed to Netflix with a reimagining from one of the studio’s top TV producers. In a competitive situation with multiple bidders, the streamer has landed Scooby-Doo! The Live-Action Series, from Greg Berlanti’s Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, where the company is based, sources tell Deadline.

Written by Josh Appelbaum & Scott Rosenberg (Cowboy Bebop) based on characters created by Hanna-Barbera, Scooby-Doo! is a live-action update of the popular cartoon.

More from Deadline

In a tough TV marketplace, the drama project garnered interest from top buyers, ending up at Netflix with a premium, script-to-series commitment, sources said. Reps for Netflix and WBTV declined comment.

Scooby-Doo! The Live-Action Series is executive produced by Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Leigh London Redman for Berlanti Productions as well as Appelbaum and Rosenberg alongside André Nemec and Jeff Pinkner under their Midnight Radio banner. Berlanti Productions’ Jonathan Gabay and Midnight Radio’s Adrienne Erickson co-executive produce.

The deal comes on the heels of Netflix releasing Berlanti Productions/WBTV’s latest series, Dead Boy Detectives, last week. The comic book adaptation landed on the streamer’s daily Top 10 U.S. series list within 24 hours and stayed in the Top 3 all weekend.

At Netflix, Berlanti Productions and WBTV are also behind You, headed into its fifth and final season, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, the Scooby-Doo! franchise was launched in 1969 with the duo’s first animated series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! for then-Hanna-Barbera (later absorbed into Warner Bros. Animation).

The series, which introduced supernatural mysteries-solving teens Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley and Shaggy Rogers and their talking Great Dane Scooby-Doo, originally aired on CBS from 1969-76, when it moved to ABC, where various versions of the show aired until 1986. Spinoff A Pup Named Scooby-Doo! aired from 1988-91. Two Scooby-Doo! reboots premiered as part of Kids’ WB on The WB and its successor The CW from 2002-08. Further reboots were produced for Cartoon Network beginning in 2010 and continuing through 2018. Boomerang premiered original animated series Scooby-Doo! and Guess Who? on its streaming service in 2019 and later on Max.

The franchise’s latest spinoff, Max original Velma from Mindy Kaling, recently wrapped its second season on the WBD streamer which also is home of the Scooby-Doo! library.

A live-action film was released in 2002 starring Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy and Linda Cardellini as Velma. It spawned a 2004 sequel. An animated feature, Scoob!, was released during the pandemic.

This marks Appelbaum, Rosenberg and their Midnight Radio partners’ return to Netflix, where they executive produced the live-action Cowboy Bebop series adaptation. Their recent credits also include Prime Video’s Citadel and MGM+’s From.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.