Scooby-Doo: Origins just added 15 stars, including Sherilyn Fenn and Sara Gilbert
Scooby-Doo: Origins just packed the Mystery Machine with 15 new cast members — including Sherilyn Fenn and Sara Gilbert — as the live-action prequel kicks into high gear.
Well, this is a turn-up for the books. Netflix is clearly betting big on nostalgia with their live-action Scooby-Doo prequel – yes, you read that right, Origins is aiming to conjure up a completely new take on everyone’s favourite mystery-flogging dog and his teenage mates. Instead of sticking to Saturday cartoons or dodgy CGI films, this one's going full human. And now, thanks to some fresh info out of Hollywood, we’ve got a pretty sprawling cast list.
The Core Gang: Who’s Playing Who?
You’ll recognise some fresh and familiar faces front and centre:
- Tanner Hagen (The Pitt) – Shaggy Rogers
- Abby Ryder Fortson (Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret) – Velma Dinkley
- Mckenna Grace (Ghostbusters: Afterlife) – Daphne Blake
- Maxwell Jenkins (Lost in Space) – Fred Jones
They’re joined by Paul Walter Hauser (Cobra Kai), though his role’s still a big question mark – but if you listen to industry whispering, he might be voicing Scooby himself.
The Mystery Inc. Universe Just Got Much Bigger
The Hollywood Reporter has dropped the names of fifteen more cast members – so if you thought the core four were going to do all the sleuthing, think again. Here’s who else is sliding into the ensemble:
- Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks)
- Sara Gilbert (The Connors)
- Rusty Schwimmer (Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday)
- Peter Macon (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes)
- Maxwell Simkins (Shifting Gears)
- Jona Xiao (The Pitt)
- Dani Deetté (The Runarounds)
- Elysée Sanvillé (72 Hours)
- Alex Isles (Normal with a Capitol N)
- Avery Kristen Pohl (Never Have I Ever)
- Pamela Mitchell (Perry Mason)
- Ross Kimball (Jury Duty)
- Wynn Everett (Chad Powers)
- Sauriyan Sapkota (The Midnight Club)
- Bruce McGill (Reacher)
What’s the Actual Set-Up?
Netflix’s version is steering well clear of the character introductions and 'zoinks!' gags we’re used to. According to the official rundown, Scooby-Doo: Origins is a 'modern reimagining' of the classic gang. Set during their final summer at camp, it’s apparently all about Shaggy and Daphne stumbling into a spooky murder mystery – and the key witness isn’t a meddling kid but a lost Great Dane puppy who’s seen things. Velma, the brainy local, and Freddy, the new heartthrob at camp, get tangled up in the case too. The twist: each of them has something to hide, and the mystery looks set to dig up their secrets.
Behind the Scenes: Who’s Actually Making This?
This isn’t some straight-to-streaming afterthought. The creative team’s absolutely stacked:
- Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg (High Fidelity, Everything Sucks!) – Showrunners, exec producers, writers
- Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman (via Berlanti Productions/Warner Bros. Television deal) – Executive producers
- André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, Adrienne Erickson (via Midnight Radio) – Executive producers
- Toby Haynes – Executive producer & director for episode one
This is a joint effort with Warner Bros. Studios, and while Netflix is calling the shots, the series is filming right now in Atlanta. The plan is for a global premiere on Netflix come 2027.
The official blurb puts it like this:
'A modern reimagining of the iconic mystery-solving group of teens and their very special dog. During their final summer at camp, old friends Shaggy and Daphne get embroiled in a haunting mystery surrounding a lonely lost Great Dane puppy that may have been a witness to a supernatural murder. Together with the pragmatic and scientific townie, Velma, and the strange, but ever so handsome new kid, Freddy, they set out to solve the case that is pulling each of them into a creepy nightmare that threatens to expose all of their secrets.'