Warner Bros Drops New Details on the Anime Revival of a Fan-Favorite Classic
Warner Bros is going full throttle into anime, rolling out original projects and reimagining its classic icons for the medium. With Batman already slicing through screens in Batman Ninja and Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League, the studio’s crossover era has arrived.
Warner Bros. has been leaning hard into anime lately, and now they’re bringing one of their most famous mystery-solvers along for the ride. Yes, Scooby-Doo is getting an anime. And no, this isn’t a rumor that quietly died — it ’s still happening.
What is Go-Go Mystery Machine?
First announced in 2024, Go-Go Mystery Machine sends Shaggy and Scooby to Japan on a food-fueled trip that (naturally) goes sideways. Instead of the usual vampires and werewolves-of-the-week, they accidentally set loose a few hundred yokai — mischievous Japanese spirits — that start causing trouble all over the country.
To fix the mess, Scooby pulls in some new backup: his uncle Daisuke-Doo, a magical friend named Etsuko, and a gadget whiz called Toshiro. It’s a new lineup, new setting, and a bunch of new monsters, with the core Scooby-and-Shaggy chaos intact.
Is it actually moving forward?
Short answer: yes. Info has been light since the 2024 reveal, but Warner Bros. Animation president Sam Register just gave a fresh update at a panel called Creators x Hollywood. He confirmed he’s actively working on a Scooby-Doo anime right now.
"I’m currently producing and developing an anime right now. We’re doing stuff in that direction."
Register also pointed to Scooby as one of those characters the studio can push in new directions. If you remember Mystery Incorporated, that show famously played with a Shaggy/Velma/Scooby love triangle — so they’re not shy about getting weird with this brand.
Why WB doing anime here makes sense
They’re already deep in it. Batman has two anime features (Batman Ninja and Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League). Middle-earth made the jump with The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Even Suicide Squad went full isekai. Scooby sliding into an anime lane fits the current strategy.
There’s also a chibi Scooby project
On top of Go-Go Mystery Machine, WB teased Scooby-Doo Gokko earlier this year. It follows Tom & Jerry Gokko’s lead by shrinking classic characters into cute, chibi-style versions. Different vibe, same IP flex.
Meanwhile, Netflix is cooking up a live-action Scooby
Separate from the anime push, Netflix has its own live-action take in development. No release date yet, but the gang is cast:
- McKenna Grace as Daphne
- Tanner Hagen as Shaggy
- Abby Ryder Fortson as Velma
- Maxwell Jenkins as Fred
- Paul Walter Hauser as a series regular (role TBA)
Scooby himself hasn’t been cast yet, and it’s unclear if they’ll go with a real dog or CG.
The bigger picture
Anime is booming, WB’s library is deep, and there’s even talk of a Paramount merger on the horizon. Translation: expect more of these legacy characters to get anime makeovers. For now, Go-Go Mystery Machine is still very much alive — and it sounds like the yokai are, too.