HBO Max Reportedly Pulls Second ‘Scooby-Doo’ Project From Service Mid-Production

Ride in the Mystery Machine
A disgruntled Mystery Inc. rides the Mystery Machine in Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! (2022)

HBO Max seems to have given up on another Scooby-Doo project in development. Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Pups was a CG-animated program aimed at preschoolers announced last year as the WarnerMedia regime gave way to Discovery and David Zaslav.

Norville (Sam Richardson) makes his stance on drugs publicly known in Velma Season 1 Episode 1 "Velma" (2023), HBO Max

Norville (Sam Richardson) makes his stance on drugs publicly known in Velma Season 1 Episode 1 “Velma” (2023), HBO Max

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Unlike the critically panned disaster that is Velma, which is getting another season, insiders have claimed that Warner is passing on the former. A post from the fan-run Animation on HBO Max Twitter account is one source that claims Mystery Pups was pulled mid-production.

“SCOOBY-DOO! AND THE MYSTERY PUPS is no longer moving forward at HBO Max. Production on the series has wrapped early since it currently does not have a home but may continue in the future if it finds a new distributor,” read the tweet.

@AnimationOnMax claims production on Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Pups is no longer moving forward at HBO Max via Twitter

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Writer and actor Roger Eschbacher heard the same thing from an unnamed colleague, supposedly working on the show. 

“Our show, Scooby Doo: Mystery Pups has wrapped early because we lost our distribution with HBO Max,” the unnamed source said. “It is a very entertaining show that I cannot openly share, but it might get picked up again if they find another distributor.”

Roger Eschbacher shares information about Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Pups via Twitter

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Like Batman: Caped Crusader and Dead Boy Detectives, Mystery Pups could turn that around and find a home on Amazon Prime, or elsewhere, as it has no tax loopholes holding it back.

Scoob 2 didn’t get the same reprieve; Zaslav needed to save some money. That film didn’t have as much internal hype for it reported either.

Mystery Pups, conversely, had WB Animation President Sam Register glowing. “[We’re] thrilled to…give preschoolers a version of Scooby to call their own…this show promises to entertain the youngest of mystery solvers,” he said via Pop Culture.

Zoinks! Ghosts and haunts abound in Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! (2022), Warner Bros. Animation

The first of its kind as a CGI Scooby targeting an urchin demo, Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Pups would have seen the return of Matthew Lillard to Shaggy and reuniting with Frank Welker, the indefatigable voice of Scoob — sans Mystery, Inc. — as counselors at a camp for dogs.

Neither Warner Bros. nor the trade publications have confirmed or commented on this story.

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