Another ‘Scooby-Doo’ Project Canceled at HBO Max

HBO Max has reportedly halted production on another animation project – Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Pups. The show was announced last year and was in the works before it was suddenly canceled this week, according to industry insiders. The crew behind the series is hoping to find a new distributor so that they can continue their work.

Several social media outlets reported on Friday that Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Pups had been abruptly canceled in the middle of production, though so far HBO Max has not officially confirmed the news. Writer Roger Eschbacher shared a quote from a colleague who was apparently working on the show. They said: “Our show, Scooby Doo: Mystery Pups has wrapped early because we lost our distribution with HBO Max. It is a very entertaining show that I cannot openly share, but it might get picked up again if they find another distributor.“

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Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Pups was announced in the spring of 2022, but it’s not clear how far along the show was this week when the cancellation reports began to circulate. According to a report by Collider, the show was slated for release in the summer of 2024 on HBO Max and on Cartoon Network’s “Cartoonito” programming block. It would have been the first-ever Scooby-Doo series created specifically for a preschool-age audience, with CGI animation.

The show would have followed Shaggy and Scooby in a new summer camp setting, while the rest of the Mystery Inc. crew would have been absent. The idea was that Shaggy and Scooby would be counselors at a sleep-away camp for dogs, solving mysteries around the campground with a new cast of characters including other puppies. Matthew Lillard had signed on to reprise his role as Shaggy while Frank Welker was on board as the voice of Scooby.

The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and at the time, the executives involved seemed very enthusiastic. Studio president Sam Register said: “Weare thrilled to finally give preschoolers a version of Scooby to call their own. With plenty of laughs, fun, and clues to chase, this show promises to entertain the youngest of mystery solvers.” Executive Amy Friedman added: “This show combines everything we love about Scooby – his humor, his loyal friendship with Shaggy, his mystery-loving spirit-all in an innovative and accessible format for preschoolers. Cartoonito parents and caregivers will get to introduce kids to their beloved childhood hero in a totally new way.”

So far, Warner Bros. has not weighed in on this reported cancellation and it has not been confirmed on the record by any trade publications. At the time of this writing, there are dozens of Scooby-Doo titles available to stream on HBO Max.