HBO has finally set a 2023 release date for Mindy Kaling’s animated series “Velma,” a spin-off of the long running “Scooby-Doo” series. While the original “Scooby-Doo” series is family and kid-friendly, Kaling’s version will be more adult-oriented. The show will be a humorous spin on the series that will unmask the complex and colorful past of one of America’s favorite mystery solvers.
“Velma” will tell the origin story of Velma Dinkley (Kaling), the undisputed brains behind the Mystery Inc. gang. When a dead body is found in her high school, Velma joins forces with Daphne (Constance Wu), Shaggy (Sam Richardson), and Fred (Glenn Howerton) to solve the murder.
But this being a more modern orgin story isn’t the only update this franchise is receiving. In October at New York Comic Con (NYCC) Kaling and showrunner Charlie Grandy revealed that Scooby-Doo himself will not make an appearance in “Velma.” Which makes sense, since it is set up to be an origin story.
The series will also modify the backgrounds of some of the traditionally white characters. For example, Velma will now be of South Asian descent. A choice that has been polarizing for many “Scooby-Doo” fans. “We want to honor other interpretations and what we think feels really modern,” Kaling said during NYCC.
The cast for “Velma” is already set to include a diverse group of voice actors. Including Jane Lynch, Wanda Sykes, Weird Al Yankovic, Russell Peters, Melissa Fumero, Stephen Root, Gary Cole, Ming-Na Wen, Ken Leung, Cherry Jones, Frank Welker, Fortune Feimster, Yvonne Orji, Sarayu Blue, Nicole Byer, Shay Mitchell, Debby Ryan, Kulap Vilaysak, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Grandy will executive produce along with Kaling, Howard Klein, and Sam Register, president of Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios, and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe.
You can catch “Velma” on HBO starting January 12th, 2023. But if you can’t wait that long, check out the teaser trailer below:
