‘Scooby-Doo’ live-action casts ‘Hunger Games’ star, ‘The Pitt’ actor and more as a new mystery awaits
The much-loved meddling kids are back, but not the way you remember them. Casting for Netflix's upcoming live-action take on ‘Scooby-Doo’ is in full swing, and the lineup has fans buzzing. Mckenna Grace ('The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping') is set to step into the shoes of Daphne Blake. Then there’s Tanner Hagen ('The Pitt') as the goofy and unpredictable Shaggy Rogers, and Abby Ryder Fortson ('Carousel'), who will play Velma Dinkley, the brainy one who always seems two steps ahead. Meanwhile, Maxwell Jenkins ('Lost in Space') rounds things out as Fred Jones.
And of course, there’s a certain Great Dane in the mix. The dog isn’t just tagging along this time; he’s right at the center of how everything began. But here’s the twist. This isn’t just another mystery-of-the-week setup where the gang splits up and runs through dimly lit hallways. The show is going backward, tracing how these characters first crossed paths long before Mystery Inc. was established. The plot kicks off during what’s supposed to be a carefree final summer at camp. There, Shaggy and Daphne, already friends, find themselves tangled up in something unsettling. A lost Great Dane puppy appears, and instead of just being cute or harmless, it seems tied to a supernatural murder. Soon enough, they’re joined by Velma, described as practical and driven by logic, and Fred, who shows up as the new guy in town.
Together, they start pulling at threads and uncovering pieces of a case that seem bigger than anything they expected. And of course, things get creepy. Not in a jump-scare way, but in that slow, creeping sense that something isn’t right, and the more they try to figure it out, the deeper they get pulled in. Since its debut back in the late '60s, ‘Scooby-Doo’ has stayed oddly timeless, popping up in cartoons, movies, reboots, and pretty much every format you can think of.
Netflix has been on a bit of a roll when it comes to reimagining familiar properties like ‘Wednesday’, ‘Stranger Things’, ‘Bridgerton’, or ‘One Piece’, increasing anticipation for the upcoming title. Behind the scenes, the project is stacked with experienced names. Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg are leading the charge as executive producers, joined by Greg Berlanti. Also on board are Sarah Schechter and Leigh London Redman through Berlanti Productions, along with André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, and Adrienne Erickson via Midnight Radio. Directing duties for the first episode will be handled by Toby Haynes.
