Here’s an origin story you might not have been expecting. As part of HBO Max’s expanding animation offerings, Mindy Kaling is set to executive produce and voice Velma, “an adult-focused comedy that offers a look at the origin story of its bespectacled and underappreciated brain in the Scooby gang,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Velma has an all-star production team on board, including Kaling, Charlie Grandy (who collaborated with Kaling on The Mindy Project), and Sam Register, a former president of Warner Bros. Animation whose extensive production credits include the excellent Harley Quinn. There’ve been many (many!) Scooby-Doo spinoffs, movies, and reboots over the years (such as Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated pictured above), but this is the first time Velma gets the spotlight all to herself.
HBO Max ordered a full season of Velma. The streaming platform’s animation announcements also include a two-season order for a Clone High update (from original creators Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Bill Lawrence) and Fired On Mars, based on an animated short, which will feature Pete Davidson among its voice cast. Even more adult-oriented animated series are in development, including Cover, a comic by Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack that is being developed by its creators. And, of course, there’s the behemoth: the potential animated Game of Thrones series.
There’s no word yet on when Velma will be available for your viewing pleasure.
