Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar aren’t the only animation companies that are bulking up their film slate.
Deadline broke the news today that Warner Bros. greenlit an animated adaptation of the Scooby Doo franchise. Being developed under the guise of Warner Animation Group, this iteration of the classic Hanna-Barbara property is being fast-tracked at lightning speed, with a release date set for September 21, 2018. This will be the third WAG film currently dated for 2018, following The LEGO Movie Sequel (May 18) and an untitled project set for February 9.
Tony Cervone, a long-time Warner Bros. Animation veteran whose credits include writing, directing, and/or producing episodes of Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated, Duck Dodgers and The Looney Tunes Show, in addition to multiple direct-to-DVD features, will be in the director’s chair for the film. Cervone will direct from a screenplay by Matt Lieberman, who’s also scripting an animated adaptation of The Jetsons for WAG.
Charles Roven and Richard Suckle will produce along with Allison Abbate, whose credits include The Iron Giant and stop-motion features like Fantastic Mr. Fox, Corpse Bride, and Frankenweenie. Dan Povenmire, best known as the co-creator of Disney Channel/Disney XD’s recently-concluded Phineas and Ferb, is joining the film as executive producer.
Scooby Doo joins a number of projects from Warner Animation Group that aren’t set in the LCU (Lego Cinematic Universe), but are rather drawn from Warner Bros.’ extensive library of animated properties. Those films include The Jetsons (as previously mentioned), The Flintstones, and Adventure Time (a more recent creation).
A live-action reboot of Scooby Doo was also announced last year, but there is currently no word on its development.
What do you think? Are you looking forward to a fully animated Scooby Doo feature film?
Edited by: Hannah Wilkes
