The Live-Action 'Scooby-Doo' Series Just Got a Major Update (2025)

Can you ever get enough of Scooby-Doo? Probably not, and that is why when Netflix announced it was developing a live-action television series adaptation of the beloved classic, we simply revved the engines as The Mystery Machine Gang is set to return. Developing the series alongside the streaming giant are Warner Bros. Television and Greg Berlanti's Berlanti Productions. With Berlanti's credits including projects such as The Flash and Riverdale, intrigue has gripped fans regarding what direction Mystery Inc. might take under his leadership. While plot details for the upcoming live-action Scooby-Doo series have remained guarded, Berlanti has offered a new update.

Scooby-Doo is a beloved animated series that follows the adventures of a group of four young adults known as the Mystery Inc. and their talking Great Dane, the titular character, Scooby-Doo. Speaking with Deadline, Berlanti discussed his own personal connection to the franchise when asked what he had planned for the series. "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," Berlanti said."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."

The Flash and Riverdale producer goes on to reveal that the pitch for the series pilot episode is currently being worked on. He adds:

"He 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. 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."

A Family-Friendly Franchise

The Scooby-Doo franchise launched in 1969 with Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears. The team of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Norville "Shaggy" Rogers, and everyone's favorite canine have gone on to build a beloved franchise since then. Some of those projects include Big Top Scooby-Doo!, Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon, Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare among others.

In recent times, the franchise welcomed the addition of the adult animated spinoff series, Velma. The series has run for two seasons on Max with Mindy Kaling as the voice of the titular character. The franchise is set to further expand with yet another animated series, Go-Go Mystery Machine. The upcoming spin-off will take Shaggy, and his adorable companion, Scooby, across the Pacific to Japan.

Stay tuned to Collider for further updates on Scooby-Doo. Several Scooby-Doo projects are available to stream on Max.

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