Mindy Kaling is teaming up with HBO Max to develop an animated series about Velma fromScooby-Doo. The show has been given a straight-to-series order by the streamer along with multiple other adult animated series. Kaling is on board to executive produce the series in addition to providing the voice of Velma in theScooby-Doospinoff.
Although it’s inspired by a popular children’s cartoon series,Velmais described as an “adult-focused” animated comedy, suggesting the show will likely be developed for more matureScooby-Doofans. The series serves as an origin story of the “bespectacled and underappreciated brain in the Scooby gang,” offering a look at the “complex and colorful past of one ofScooby-Doo’s beloved mystery solvers.”
Velmastems from an overall deal betweenMindy Kalingand Warner Bros. TV to produce multiple original shows for the studio. Executive producingVelmaalongside Kaling are longtime collaborator Charlie Grandy, 3 Arts' Howard Klein, and Sam Register.
Velma Dinkley has been appearing in theScooby-Doofranchise since the original cartoon series premiered in 1969, originally voiced by Nicole Jaffe. She most recently appeared in last year’s computer-animated movieScoob!, this time played by Gina Rodriguez. In the live-actionScooby-Doomovie and its sequel, Linda Cardellini portrayed a live-action version of Velma. She has since reprised the role in various animated parodies forRobot Chicken.
OtherScooby-Dooprequels have also been developed in years past. The2018 direct-to-video movie Daphne & Velmaalso served as a bit of an origin story for Velma, following Velma (Sarah Gilman) and Daphne Blake (Sarah Jeffery) as high school students in the days before joining Mystery Inc. with Fred, Scooby, and Shaggy. The animated seriesA Pup Named Scooby-Dooalso reimagined the gang solving mysteries as children with Christina Lange voicing Velma.
Along with Kaling’sVelmaseries,HBO Maxis increasing their offering of adult animated comedies with several other titles. Also in the works is an update ofClone High, described as a refresh on the original series that’s set in a high school for clones of historical figures. An animated workplace comedy series calledFired on Marsis also in development with Pete Davidson tapped for the lead role. Additionally, the streamer has also ordered another two seasons of the animated comedyClose Enough.
“It is a tremendous privilege to build on the 100-year plus legacy of ‘cartoons’ at this company,” HBO Max said in a statement. “We can draw a straight line from our hundreds of childhood hours spent watching Bugs outwit Elmer to the current slate of adult animated projects we are building here at HBO Max and we think fans will agree. We are proud to introduce this distinctive group of series from a wide range of diverse creators that will form a first stop destination for animation lovers everywhere.”
Other animated projects in development at HBO that have previously been announced include new takes onGremlinsandThe Boondocksalong with more episodes of the Kaley Cuoco seriesHarley Quinn. This news comes to us fromThe Hollywood Reporter.
