Warner Bros has gone all-in when it comes to anime, with the studio throwing its hat into the ring when it comes to both producing original works and transforming some of its classic characters into anime characters. Batman has received two anime films of his own in Batman Ninja and Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League, while the warriors of Middle-earth arrived in the anime world with The Lord of The Rings: The War of The Rohirrim. With even the Suicide Squad getting its own Isekai, the WB has another major anime adaptation in the works. Be prepared to rev up the Mystery Machine, because Scooby and the Gang are still getting an anime.
Go-Go Mystery Machine was first announced in 2024, described as an anime series that will see Shaggy and Scooby making their way to Japan. Rather than facing vampires and werewolves, the classic cartoon characters will face Japanese Yokai, while having various new characters introduced as a part of this new anime series. Since announced two years ago, little information has been revealed when it comes to the new anime, though the series is still very much in the works. The current president of Warner Bros Animation, Sam Register, confirmed in a new panel that he is still working on the “Scooby-Doo” anime.
During a recent panel titled “Creators x Hollywood,” Register discusses how Scooby-Doo has been an excellent way for the studio to re-imagine some of its classic cartoon characters: “We’ve been doing that with Scooby-Doo. We had Mystery Incorporated, where we had a love triangle between Shaggy and Velma, and Scooby. We’ve done some stranger stuff. I’m currently producing and developing an anime right now. We’re doing stuff in that direction. Every now and then, we get a character that we can stretch and do something new with.”
If you haven’t heard of Go-Go Mystery Machine before now, here’s the official description from Warner Bros for the anime series, “While visiting Japan on the ultimate foodie adventure, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo unwittingly unleash hundreds of mischievous mythical monsters that are now causing trouble all over the country. Scooby turns to his uncle, Daisuke-Doo, and magical friend Etsuko and gadget wiz Toshiro to help solve the mystery and catch the monsters.”
Ironically enough, the adventure that will drop the Mystery Machine in Japan isn’t the only Scooby-Doo anime in the works. Scooby-Doo Gokko was teased earlier this year, following in the footsteps of Tom & Jerry Gokko. In the “Gokko” franchise, classic characters are re-imagined as “chibi” versions of themselves. Typically, this means that the classic cartoon characters are made much smaller and cuter than the ones we have come to know. With the anime industry growing in popularity, it will be interesting to see what other characters from Warner Bros’ library are given anime makeovers, especially with the Paramount merger potentially set to take place.
Scooby-Doo isn’t just coming to reclaim its place in the world of animation, as Netflix has announced that it is planning to create a live-action adaptation of the beloved franchise. While the re-imagining has yet to reveal a release date, the Scooby gang has already been cast. The Mystery Incorporated members will see McKenna Grace as Daphne, Tanner Hagen as Shaggy, Abby Ryder Fortson as Velma, and Maxwell Jenkins as Fred. The show is also bringing on comedic actor Paul Walter Hauser as a series regular. Scooby himself has yet to be cast, leaving many to wonder if he’ll be played by an actual canine or will be a CG creation.
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