Warner Bros. has had some good luck in the animation department lately, most notably withThe LEGO Movie. So, they are diving head first into some other well-known properties, likeScooby-Doo. Their latest animated feature centered around Scooby and the gang has just taken a big step forward, as they have brought onParenthoodstarDax Shepardto co-direct the movie.
Varietybroke the news on Friday afternoon, stating thatShepardwill be directing the latestScooby Doomovie along withSpace Jamanimation directorTony Cervone.Charles RovenandRichard Sucklewill produce the movie. The pair also produced the last two live-actionScooby-Doo movies, which were written byGuardians of the GalaxydirectorJames Gunn.Shepardwill also be co-writing the screenplay with for the movie alongsideMatt Lieberman, per the report.
Sheparddoesn’t have a ton of experience directing, but that seems to be the direction he is heading. He directed the small 2012 movieHit and Run, which featured his now wifeKristen Bell. But it seems to be his good relationship with Warner Bros. that is putting him in the director’s chair as of late. He is also directing and starring in the studio’s adaptation of the 70s cop TV showCHiPs, which also featuresMichael PenaandVincent D’Onofrioand is due out next year.
Thanks to Marvel Studios, cinematic universes are all the rage right now in Hollywood, and Warner Bros. is hoping to start another one set in theHanna-Barberauniverse, starting with this new animatedScooby-Doouniverse. At CinemaCon this year it was revealed that Warner Bros. has planned to title this newScooby-DoomovieS.C.O.O.B.and that they would be working on several other Hanna-Barbera inspired animated movies that would interweave with one another. We haven’t heard much about this since so we don’t know if that is still the plan or if that is still going to be the title of the upcomingScooby-Doomovie.
The originalScooby-Doo, Where Are You?!animated series debuted in 1969 and the property has gone through a lot of iterations since. As far as a theatrical release of any kind is concerned, the property has been dormant since the 2004 live-actionScooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed. The new animatedScooby-Doomovie is set for release on July 28, 2025.
