Scooby-Doo is no longer a cartoon. He is no longer CGI. He is a real Great Dane puppy running through the woods, and Netflix just showed him to the world.
Image Source: Netflix
Netflix gave fans their first glimpse of its highly anticipated live-action series ‘Scooby-Doo: Origins’ on June 8, 2026. The reveal came through a short teaser clip posted to social media, and it answered one of the biggest questions surrounding the project: what will Scooby-Doo actually look like?
There had been much speculation over how the show would present its title character, with many fans expecting CGI, as have all previous live-action adaptations of the iconic crime solver. Netflix went a different direction entirely. This is the first time a real-life canine is being used. Even in the live-action movies, Scooby was CGI.
Advertisement
The dog is a Great Dane, which is the exact breed that Scooby-Doo has been in every iteration. The brown puppy sports the iconic blue and yellow collar and does not yet have spots, but will grow into them. Frank Welker will voice the talking Great Dane puppy. Welker is a long-time franchise veteran who has voiced both Fred and Scooby-Doo over the past five decades.
Advertisement
The quick clip begins from a dog’s point of view, with the sound of paws running on the ground and an occasional bark in the background. Scooby sniffs around the woods until he spots Shaggy Rogers wandering nearby. Then, at the end of the clip, viewers get their first glimpse of the live-action, floppy-eared canine in his iconic teal collar as he is cradled by his new best friend.
According to the synopsis, ‘Scooby-Doo: Origins’ takes place in modern day and finds the Mystery Inc. gang coming together while at summer camp. Shaggy and Daphne are long-time friends who befriend a puppy who might have been a witness to a mysterious and supernatural murder. They band together with Velma and Freddy to get to the bottom of the chilling puzzle.
During their final summer at Camp Ruby-Spears, 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. The series is billed as a modern reimagining of the classic franchise, rooted in the original Hanna-Barbera characters.
Mckenna Grace stars as Daphne Blake, Tanner Hagen plays Shaggy Rogers, Abby Ryder Fortson is Velma Dinkley, and Maxwell Jenkins plays Fred Jones. Grace is known for her work in ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’, while Fortson earned recognition for ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’. Hagen previously appeared in ‘The Pitt’, and Jenkins is known for ‘Lost in Space’.
Paul Walter Hauser plays Scooby’s owner. This is a change from previous iterations, where Shaggy was believed to have been the dog’s owner from birth. Hauser is best known for his work in ‘Black Bird’ and ‘The Naked Gun’. Sara Gilbert is also part of the ensemble cast.
The series comes from writers, showrunners, and executive producers Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg through their production company Midnight Radio. Additional executive producers include Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Leigh London Redman through Berlanti Productions and its overall deal with Warner Bros. Television. Andre Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, and Adrienne Erickson also serve as executive producers through Midnight Radio.
Episodes are directed by Toby Haynes, whose previous credits include ‘Andor’, ‘Black Mirror’, and ‘Doctor Who’. Appelbaum previously wrote the 2014 and 2016 ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ films, while Rosenberg’s writing credits include ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ and ‘Con Air’.
Cameras began rolling on April 27, 2026, with the filming location set in Atlanta, Georgia. Production is scheduled to run through September 10, 2026. There will be eight episodes in the first season.
Because production does not conclude until the fall, Netflix will not be releasing the show in 2026. Viewers could be waiting up to a year depending on how long the post-production process takes. Netflix has confirmed a global premiere on the platform sometime in 2027, though no specific date has been announced.
Advertisement
