Scooby-Doois set to make a big return to live-action in a newNetflixseries being developed byArrowverseproducerGreg Berlanti. While the producer has plenty of experience dealing with big IPs and iconic characters from his work onthe interconnected DC universe, the recent reaction to the Max seriesVelmahas proven that working on a modern Scooby-Doo project can be a tricky thing to navigate. However, in a new interview, Berlanti has laid out why the new series is in good hands, and how they have not rushed into this new iteration of the greatest Dane in cartoon history.
Berlanti recently shared his thoughts withDeadlinewhile promoting the new movieFly Me to the Moon, and was happy to talk about his long history with the Scooby-Doo franchise, including working withanimation legends William Hanna and Joseph Barberaas one of his first jobs. He said:
“One of my first jobs in this business was as a temp at Hanna-Barbera. I’d sit with Joe Barbera and Bill Hanna while they autographed animation cels. I would go in the morning and I would retrieve with my boss a bunch of these animation cels. I’d go to Bill Hanna’s office first. He was a very stoic guy. His office was very spare. And then came my favorite part of the day, going to see Joe Barbera. He was such a life force. He would sign the cels, but he would stop and regale me with the greatest stories. He was such a raconteur.”
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
It was through his interactions with Barbera that Berlani learned the story ofScooby-Doo’s origin. Continuing, Berlanti noted how taking on the task of keeping older properties alive, but also staying true to their roots, is something that feels very special. He said:
“[Joe] would tell stories of how Scooby was created and what they were thinking, and how it was the late ’60s and kids felt under assault by adults, and they felt overwhelmed and they needed to be empowered. When they pitched it to Bill Paley he was like, you need a dog or something. And that was the birth of Scooby-Doo. Joe was such a special storyteller, and I was so, wow. I’d always loved them as a kid. And again, with any of the properties be they Hanna-Barbera or DC or anything at Warners, you feel lucky to be the historian who helps usher them into a new generation.”
Netflix’s Scooby-Doo Series Has Been a Long Time Coming
While the announcement of a new live-action Scooby-Doo series being set at Netflix arrived last month, the road to creating the series has not been a swift one. In fact, the journey seems to have started even beforeMax’s divisive Velmaaired its first episode. Explaining the process of finding the right story to capture the essence of the franchise in a way that will resonate with audiences, Berlanti added:
“You just go back to the spirit and the DNA of what makes ‘em special. With Scooby-Doo, we went out and heard pitches for a year and a half and finally found one that we really felt really captured it. I just was working on the pitch for it this morning, for the first episode. So we’re really pumped.”
10 Hilarious Scooby-Doo Crossovers That Shocked Us
Scooby-Doo had some of the most surprising pop-culture crossovers, even as far back as the 1970s.
While there has been no indication of when the new Scooby-Doo series will make it to Netflix, the fact that things are just in the early stages suggests it will be at least a couple of years away. In the meantime, the legendary canine and his Mystery Machine-riding gang will be getting an anime makeover in thenewly announced animated seriesGo-Go Mystery Machine, which is in development for Cartoon Network.
Fans of the Scoob can find plenty of older episodes and movies streaming on Max and various other platforms.
