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''Scoob!'' is a 2020 American animated mystery comedy film produced by Warner Animation Group, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is a
reboot In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...
of the theatrical'' Scooby-Doo'' film series and the third theatrical film based on the characters, following ''
Scooby-Doo ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American media franchise owned by Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Entertainment and created in 1969 by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears through their animated series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'', for Hanna-Barbera (which wa ...
'' (2002) and '' Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed'' (2004). The film is directed by Tony Cervone (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by
Adam Sztykiel Adam John Sztykiel is an American television and film producer and screenwriter known for such television series and films as '' Undateable'', which he also created based on the book, ''Undateable: 311 Things Guys do That Guarantee They Won't be D ...
, Jack Donaldson, Derek Elliott, and Matt Lieberman, and a story by Lieberman, Eyal Podell, and Jonathon E. Stewart. It stars the voices of
Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American actor who specializes in voice acting. He began his career in the 1960s, and held around 850 film, television, and video game credits as of 2020, making him one of the most prolific v ...
, Will Forte,
Gina Rodriguez Gina Alexis Rodriguez (born July 30, 1984) is an American actress. She is known for her leading role as Jane Villanueva in The CW satirical romantic dramedy series ''Jane the Virgin'' (2014–2019), for which she received a Golden Globe Award f ...
,
Zac Efron Zachary David Alexander Efron (; born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. Efron began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence as a teen idol for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the ''High School Musical'' film ...
, and Amanda Seyfried. The film also features the voices of
Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), formerly known by his stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, producer, and former rapper. Mark Wahlberg filmography, His work as a leading actor, leading man spans the Comedy film, come ...
, Jason Isaacs, Kiersey Clemons,
Ken Jeong Kendrick Kang-Joh Jeong ( ; ; born July 13, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and physician. He rose to prominence for playing Leslie Chow in ''The Hangover'' film series (2009–2013) and Ben Chang in the NBC sitcom ''Community'' ...
, and
Tracy Morgan Tracy Jamal Morgan (born November 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy television series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1996 to 2003, and played Tracy Jordan in the NBC sitcom ''30 Ro ...
as other animated
Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...
characters. Set in a Hanna-Barbera animated
shared universe A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where one or more writers (or other artists) independently contribute works that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, charact ...
, the film follows Mystery Incorporated working with the Blue Falcon to solve their most challenging mystery behind their mascot's secret legacy and purpose, which connects with
Dick Dastardly Dick Dastardly is a fictional character and the main antagonist who has appeared in various animated series by Hanna-Barbera Productions from 1968 onward. Dastardly's most famous appearances are in the series ''Wacky Races'' (his initial appearan ...
's evil plan to unleash
Cerberus In Greek mythology, Cerberus ( or ; ''Kérberos'' ), often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a polycephaly, multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Greek underworld, underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. He was the offspring o ...
. Plans for a new ''Scooby-Doo'' theatrical film began in June 2014, when
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
announced that they would reboot the ''Scooby-Doo'' film series with an animated film. Cervone was hired to direct the film in August 2015, with Dax Shepard being brought to co-direct it in September 2016, until he was no longer part of the project by October 2018. Warner Bros. then hired Chris Columbus, whose "affection for the character" made him an executive producer on the final film, while the studio “understands how much of its history is rooted in these iconic characters”. ''Scoob!'' was originally set for a worldwide theatrical release on May 15, 2020. In response to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
causing the closure of theaters across the globe, Warner Bros. made the film available to own digitally in the United States on the same date it was planned to be released in theaters. It received a theatrical release in select countries beginning in July 2020 and a secondary theatrical release in the United States beginning on May 21, 2021. It received mixed reviews from critics, who criticized its
meme A meme (; ) is an idea, behavior, or style that Mimesis, spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying c ...
references. The film grossed $28.5 million against a budget of $90 million, but it topped digital rental charts in its first three weekends of release, becoming the third-most watched title on PVOD in 2020. A prequel, '' Scoob! Holiday Haunt'', was originally set for release through
Max Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE) * Max (gorilla) ...
; it was cancelled in August 2022, although production on the film was completed after the cancellation.


Plot

In Venice Beach, a young, lonely
Shaggy Rogers Norville "Shaggy" Rogers is a fictional character and one of the main characters in the ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise. He is characterized as an amateur detective, and the long-time best friend of his dog, Scooby-Doo. Character description Shaggy ...
befriends and adopts a young talking stray
Great Dane The Great Dane is a German list of dog breeds, breed of large mastiff-sighthound, which descends from hunting dogs of the Middle Ages used to hunt bears, wild boar, and deer. They were also used as guardian dogs of German nobility. It is one o ...
, whom he names
Scooby-Doo ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American media franchise owned by Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Entertainment and created in 1969 by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears through their animated series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'', for Hanna-Barbera (which wa ...
. On Halloween night, Scooby and Shaggy meet three young children— Fred Jones,
Daphne Blake Daphne Blake is a fictional character in the ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise. She is a core member of Mystery Incorporated and is depicted as coming from a wealthy family. She is noted for her beauty, fashion sense, and her knack for getting into dan ...
, and
Velma Dinkley Velma Dinkley is a fictional character in the ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise. She is usually seen wearing a baggy orange turtleneck sweater, a short red pleated skirt, knee high socks, Mary Jane shoes, and a pair of black square glasses, which she ...
—before venturing into a haunted house, where they capture a thief disguised as a ghost, which inspires them to form Mystery Inc. and solve mysteries together. After years of solving mysteries, Mystery Inc. goes into business. During an investor meeting with
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality and businessman. He has judged on the British television talent competition shows ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003), ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor UK ...
, he refuses to do business with Scooby and Shaggy due to their behavior, which he insultingly proclaims as childish, and claims their friendship is useless. Infuriated, the pair storm out of the meeting and go to the Takamoto
bowling alley A bowling alley (also known as a bowling center, bowling lounge, bowling arena, or historically bowling club) is a facility where the sport of bowling is played. It can be a dedicated facility or part of another, such as a clubhouse or dwelling ...
to cool off, where they are terrorized by
shapeshifting In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shapeshifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through unnatural means. The idea of shapeshifting is found in the oldest forms of totemism and shamanism, as well as the oldest existen ...
robots called Rottens that belong to
Dick Dastardly Dick Dastardly is a fictional character and the main antagonist who has appeared in various animated series by Hanna-Barbera Productions from 1968 onward. Dastardly's most famous appearances are in the series ''Wacky Races'' (his initial appearan ...
, who seek to capture Scooby and
Cerberus In Greek mythology, Cerberus ( or ; ''Kérberos'' ), often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a polycephaly, multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Greek underworld, underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. He was the offspring o ...
' three skulls. They are rescued by Dee Dee Skyes, and their lifelong heroes Dynomutt and Brian Crown, who has taken over from his father's role as the masked superhero, Blue Falcon. Dastardly and the Rottens trap and terrorize Scooby and Shaggy in a creepy abandoned
amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...
, but the Falcon Force rescues them. Their investigation shows that Dastardly finds Scooby more important than Shaggy, causing Shaggy to feel alone. Meanwhile, Fred, Daphne, and Velma discover that Dastardly is after Scooby and Shaggy, and head off to investigate. The group also reminisces about the good times they had with Shaggy and Scooby around, before being imprisoned in Dastardly's airship. They escape with one of the Rottens' help and make contact with Dee Dee to explain that she and the others are being taken to Messick Mountain, where the last skull is located. The group then finds out that Dastardly's plan is to open the gates to the Underworld to rescue his dog sidekick
Muttley Muttley is a fictional dog created in 1968 by Hanna-Barbera Productions; he was originally voiced by Don Messick. He is the sidekick (and often foil (narrative), foil) to the cartoon villain Dick Dastardly, and appeared with him in the 1968 televi ...
, who was trapped during an attempt to steal the Underworld's riches. Dastardly needs Scooby to unlock the gates since he is the last remaining descendant of
Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...
's dog, Peritas. Scooby, Shaggy, and the Falcon Force go underground to a prehistoric island in Messick Mountain. Shaggy, who sees Scooby's importance as an insult to their friendship, wants Scooby to stay with him on the ship. Scooby wants Shaggy to join him and the group, but Shaggy angrily demands Scooby choose between him and the Falcon Force. Scooby picks the latter, to Shaggy's dismay, and finds Captain Caveman guarding the last skull and testing his bravery, in a fight for it. Dastardly tricks Shaggy into taking him to Scooby and the skull, and captures them, while the Rottens throw Fred, Daphne, and Velma out of the airship. Shaggy expresses guilt and remorse for Scooby's capture, and his speech inspires everyone to work together and rescue Scooby. Arriving in
Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
, Dastardly reveals the Underworld's gates with the three skulls and tries to unlock them with Scooby's paw while Scooby's friends pursue him in a flying Mystery Machine. The Rottens shoot them down, while Dastardly releases the rampaging Cerberus, causing the town to flee. Scooby runs to the crash site to reunite with his friends, and Dastardly reunites with Muttley in the Underworld, and they escape with some treasure. Scooby and Shaggy determine how to trap Cerberus; Fred, Daphne, and Velma determine how to close the gates; and the Falcon Force flies around Cerberus to keep him distracted. With help from the Rottens, they trap Cerberus back in the Underworld, but Shaggy sacrifices himself to stay inside the Underworld and lock the gates, following Alexander the Great and Peritas' bond prophecy. The gang finds an exit that continues the prophecy, which Scooby unlocks to reunite with Shaggy. The Rottens capture Muttley and Dastardly, who is unmasked twice in a revelation that he impersonated Cowell. The Falcon Force takes the pair into custody, while Mystery Inc. returns home and unveils their official new headquarters. They celebrate their grand opening with the entire town, including the Falcon Force, who gifts them an upgraded Mystery Machine, before they head off to solve another mystery.


Voice cast

Additionally, director Tony Cervone cameos as the voices of Ghost/Mr. Rigby as well as Alice. Other characters from Hanna-Barbera shows that make non-vocal cameos include Atom Ant, Jabberjaw, Grape Ape, Frankenstein Jr. and
Dr. Benton Quest ''Jonny Quest'' (also known as ''The Adventures of Jonny Quest'') is an American animated science fiction adventure television series about a boy who accompanies his scientist father on extraordinary adventures. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera, ...
. All mentioned are included in the end credits.


Production


Development

On June 17, 2014, Warner Bros. Pictures announced that they would
reboot In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...
the ''
Scooby-Doo ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American media franchise owned by Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Entertainment and created in 1969 by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears through their animated series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'', for Hanna-Barbera (which wa ...
'' film series with an animated film, then being written by Randall Green. On August 17, 2015, Tony Cervone, who had previously worked on several ''Scooby-Doo'' projects, was hired to direct the animated film, now with a script by Matt Lieberman. Allison Abbate (Cervone's wife) and Pam Coats produced the film, with Charles Roven and Richard Suckle among its executive producers. Dan Povenmire, the co-creator of the
Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...
series ''
Phineas and Ferb ''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated series, animated Musical film, musical-television comedy, comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series originally aired on t ...
'' and '' Milo Murphy's Law'', was set to be involved in a creative capacity, and was eventually also credited as an executive producer on the film. At the 2016 CinemaCon, the film's official title was announced to be ''S.C.O.O.B.'', with a plot involving Scooby-Doo and Shaggy rescued by a larger organization led by Blue Falcon. The film was intended to lead into a cinematic universe based on
Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...
properties. In September 2016, it was reported that Dax Shepard would co-direct and co-write the film along with Cervone and Lieberman respectively. In October 2018, it was announced that Shepard was no longer part of the project, thus leaving Cervone the solo director once again with Kelly Fremon Craig set to serve as screenwriter instead and Chris Columbus set to join as one of the film's executive producers as well. Ultimately, Lieberman,
Adam Sztykiel Adam John Sztykiel is an American television and film producer and screenwriter known for such television series and films as '' Undateable'', which he also created based on the book, ''Undateable: 311 Things Guys do That Guarantee They Won't be D ...
, Jack Donaldson, and Derek Elliott received screenplay credit, with Lieberman, Eyal Podell, and Jonathon E. Stewart having "story by" billing. Later in production, many miscellaneous Hanna-Barbera characters were cut, and the story changed to focus on Scooby-Doo and Shaggy's friendship and give Scooby an emotional arc. According to Tony Cervone, the film also took inspiration from '' Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'' and is a Scooby-Doo mystery that's bigger, more personal, and goes beyond the typical formula. Cervone also called the film a "love letter" to Hanna-Barbera, in an interview with Jackson Murphy on animationscoop.com.


Casting

In March 2019,
Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American actor who specializes in voice acting. He began his career in the 1960s, and held around 850 film, television, and video game credits as of 2020, making him one of the most prolific v ...
was revealed to reprise as
Scooby-Doo ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American media franchise owned by Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Entertainment and created in 1969 by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears through their animated series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'', for Hanna-Barbera (which wa ...
, while Will Forte,
Gina Rodriguez Gina Alexis Rodriguez (born July 30, 1984) is an American actress. She is known for her leading role as Jane Villanueva in The CW satirical romantic dramedy series ''Jane the Virgin'' (2014–2019), for which she received a Golden Globe Award f ...
, and
Tracy Morgan Tracy Jamal Morgan (born November 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy television series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1996 to 2003, and played Tracy Jordan in the NBC sitcom ''30 Ro ...
had signed on to voice Shaggy, Velma, and Captain Caveman. Forte, a fan of the franchise, aimed to create a more emotional Shaggy, while adding his own spin on voicing him. To homage
Casey Kasem Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem (April 27, 1932 – June 15, 2014) was an American disc jockey, actor, and radio presenter who created and hosted several radio countdown programs, notably ''American Top 40'', as well as the weekly syndicated televi ...
's impression, who he considers an icon, and he also praised Matthew Lillard's impression. Rodriguez, another fan of the franchise, aimed to create a more outspoken Velma and was thrilled to voice her as a Latina American, after discussing with director Tony Cervone about how they could sneak her heritage into her. Morgan also loved Captain Caveman growing up, and would even yell out his signature catchphrase when having fun at home. In May 2019,
Zac Efron Zachary David Alexander Efron (; born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. Efron began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence as a teen idol for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the ''High School Musical'' film ...
and Amanda Seyfried were cast as
Fred Fred or FRED may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Fred ...
and
Daphne Daphne (; ; , , ), a figure in Greek mythology, is a naiad, a variety of female nymph associated with fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of freshwater. There are several versions of the myth in which she appears, but t ...
. Efron's casting marked a rare occasion in which the character has not been voiced by Welker (who has played Fred in most incarnations since the show's debut in 1969). Efron aimed to create a more fun and honest Fred, and Seyfried aimed to create a more empathetic and relatable Daphne. Both Efron and Seyfried were fans of the franchise growing up.Interview with the director and cast of Scoob!
Stack, September 14, 2020
Matthew Lillard and
Grey Griffin Grey DeLisle (; born Erin Grey Van Oosbree; August 24, 1973), sometimes credited as Grey Griffin, is an American voice actress and singer-songwriter. DeLisle is known for various roles in animated productions and video games. On September 27, ...
, the current voices of Shaggy and Daphne's regular incarnations, both expressed their disappointment at the news of their roles being recast. Despite this, they still get to voice their mainstream versions, with Lillard wishing the film good luck, and Griffin not holding any hard feelings towards Seyfried or her performance in the film. A different voice cast of younger adults was chosen, as the film aims to be its own stand-alone story and its characters are reimagined young adults exclusively from a modern cinematic universe. The film's cancelled spinoff prequel, '' Scoob! Holiday Haunt'' also would have emphasized this, as their kid counterparts are 10 years old and set 10 years before their present timeline. Director Tony Cervone confirms the gang in the movie are in their early 20s. In April 2019, Ken Jeong and Kiersey Clemons were announced to voice Dynomutt and Dee Dee Skyes. In May 2019, Mark Wahlberg and Jason Isaacs joined to voice Blue Falcon and Dick Dastardly, who Isaacs also wanted to re-imagine as a bigger threat. Mckenna Grace, Iain Armitage, Ariana Greenblatt and Pierce Gagnon were also set as young versions of Daphne, Shaggy, Velma and Fred, respectively. In March 2020,
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality and businessman. He has judged on the British television talent competition shows ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003), ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor UK ...
joined the cast voicing a fictionalized version of himself. Besides being a business entrepreneur in real life, Cowell is also an avid fan of the franchise and was thrilled to take his role. In May 2020, days before the film's release, it was revealed that voice acting veteran
Billy West William Richard Werstine (born 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor, comedian, radio personality, impressionist and musician. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'', the title characte ...
had reprised his role as Dick Dastardly's sidekick,
Muttley Muttley is a fictional dog created in 1968 by Hanna-Barbera Productions; he was originally voiced by Don Messick. He is the sidekick (and often foil (narrative), foil) to the cartoon villain Dick Dastardly, and appeared with him in the 1968 televi ...
, and that Cowell's son, Eric, also has a voice role.


Animation

Animation services were provided by Reel FX Animation Studios, who also produced the animation for the 2010s computer-animated'' Looney Tunes'' theatrical shorts that Tony Cervone produced. The animators aimed to adapt the classic Hanna-Barbera world and characters into 3D animation, without losing their cartoony charm and spirit. The animators also used early ''Scooby-Doo'' cartoons as reference and inspiration for the animation sequences.


Music

On January 28, 2020,
Tom Holkenborg Tom Holkenborg (born 8 December 1967), also known as Junkie XL, is a Dutch composer, multi-instrumentalist, DJ, producer, and engineer. Originally known for his trance productions, he has moved to producing electronica and big beat music and fil ...
signed on to compose the film's original score. On May 5, 2020, it was announced ''Scoob! The Album'' would be released on May 15, 2020, including the songs "On Me" by
Thomas Rhett Thomas Rhett Akins Jr. (born March 30, 1990) is an American country music, country singer-songwriter. He is the oldest son of singer Rhett Akins. Rhett has released seven studio albums for Big Machine Records' Valory Music imprint: ''It Goes ...
and
Kane Brown Kane Allen Brown (born October 21, 1993) is an American country music singer and songwriter. First garnering a mass following on social media, he released his debut extended play (EP) ''Closer (Kane Brown EP), Closer'' in June 2015, and followe ...
, featuring Ava Max, and "Summer Feelings" by Lennon Stella, featuring
Charlie Puth Charles Otto Puth Jr. (; born December 2, 1991) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. His initial exposure came through the viral success of his cover (music), song covers uploaded to YouTube. Puth signed with the record labe ...
. The soundtrack also includes other songs by various artists, including Faouzia, Sage the Gemini, R3hab, Pink Sweat$, Galantis, Best Coast, Rico Nasty, and
Jack Harlow Jackman Thomas Harlow (born March 13, 1998) is an American rapper and singer. He began his recording career in 2015, and released several EPs and mixtapes until signing with Don Cannon and DJ Drama's record label Generation Now, an imprint of A ...
, with the original score being released digitally on May 29, 2020. For the film's music, Holkenborg and director Tony Cervone revisited the original show's music as inspiration. A lot of the music fused the zanier psychedelic elements of the original show with
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
beats, to do something new while honoring the original vibe.


Release

''Scoob!'' was originally set for a September 21, 2018 release before being pushed back to May 15, 2020. On March 24, 2020, the film's theatrical release date was delayed indefinitely due to movie theater closures since mid-March, because of
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
restrictions. It was announced on April 21, 2020, that Warner Bros. had canceled the North American theatrical release and would instead make ''Scoob!'' available for
digital distribution Digital distribution, also referred to as content delivery, online distribution, or electronic software distribution, among others, is the delivery or distribution of information or materials through digital platforms. The distribution of digital ...
in the United States through Premium Video on demand on the originally scheduled theatrical date. '' Variety'' wrote that releasing the film digitally was "a big risk — and an almost certain loss — for Warner Bros." but noted that the success of '' Trolls World Tour'' in a similar release venue could be a positive sign. As the pandemic receded, Warner Bros. confirmed that the film would still play in theaters in select countries, with relaxed COVID-19 restrictions beginning July 8, 2020. On June 18, 2020 it was announced that ''Scoob!'' would be available for streaming on
HBO Max Max (known in other countries as, and soon to be reverted globally to HBO Max) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming on behalf of Home Box Of ...
beginning June 26, 2020. The film was reissued in North American theaters for the weekend of May 21–23, 2021. ''Scoob!'' was released on
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
,
Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
, and
Ultra HD Blu-ray Ultra HD Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD, UHD-BD, or 4K Blu-ray) is a digital optical disc data storage format that is an enhanced variant of Blu-ray. Ultra HD Blu-ray supports 4K UHD (3840 × 2160 pixel resolution) video at frame rates up to 60 progre ...
on July 21, 2020.


Reception


Box office

''Scoob!'' was released in theaters on July 10, 2020, in five countries (France, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Vietnam), and grossed $1.8 million in its opening weekend. Warner Bros. announced plans to eventually theatrically release the film into 20 markets. Over its second weekend of release, the film made $243,000 from the Netherlands and $266,000 in Spain, as well as finishing third in France. Over the weekend of July 31, the film made $1.3 million from 13 countries. In Spain, the film had a four-week running total of $1.6 million. When the film was issued in North American theaters on May 21, 2021, it debuted in 8th place at the box office over the weekend with $850,000. The film grossed a total of $2.2 million in the United States and Canada and $26.4 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $28.6 million worldwide.


VOD sales

''Scoob!'' was the top-rented film on
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...
,
Google Play Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store, Play Store, or sometimes the Android Store (and was formerly Android Market), is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certifie ...
, FandangoNow,
Spectrum A spectrum (: spectra or spectrums) is a set of related ideas, objects, or properties whose features overlap such that they blend to form a continuum. The word ''spectrum'' was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of co ...
, and the iTunes Store in its opening weekend. Although Warner Bros. did not report actual figures, the film had a higher sales count than ''Trolls: World Tour'', which made $100 million over its first three days. It remained the top-rented film across all services in its second weekend, then on three of four services in its third. In its fourth week it remained #1 on FandangoNow, while falling to second on Amazon Prime and fourth on the iTunes charts. In its fifth weekend of release, Warner Bros. lowered the price from $19.99 to $14.99, and the film finished second on FandangoNow, Amazon Prime, and Spectrum, and fifth on iTunes. While no official numbers were released by Warner Bros., ''
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
'' estimated that by mid-June the film had made about 35% to 40% less than ''Trolls: World Tour'' (which had itself totaled at least $100 million in sales over its first month). In October 2020, ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' said the film was the third-most-popular PVOD title amid the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.


Critical response

On
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, the film has an approval rating of 48% based on 152 reviews and an average rating of 5.3/10. The website's critics' consensus reads: "''Scoob!'' is fun enough for youthful viewers and some hardcore fans, but never quite solves the mystery of why audiences shouldn't watch old episodes instead." On
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, the film has a weighted average score of 43 out of 100 based on 33 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". In his review for ''
The Mercury News ''The Mercury News'' (formerly ''San Jose Mercury News'', often locally known as ''The Merc'') is a morning daily newspaper published in San Jose, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is published by the Bay Area News Group, a subsidia ...
'', Randy Myers wrote, "''Scoob!'' is a goofy and bright surprise – an imaginative reboot that respects its shaggy dog TV roots but is smart enough to add dashes, not shovelfuls, of wry pop-culture and movie references." Michael Phillips of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' gave the film 2.5 out of 4 stars, writing, "I'm reasonably happy to report that it's a reasonably diverting reboot. It's also ridiculously overpacked, crammed with Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters from various TV series beyond ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!''" ''
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''s Brian Truitt, who also gave the film 2.5 out of 4 stars, wrote that, "after a super-fun opening, it's all 'Ruh-roh' from there". Peter DeBruge of '' Variety'' wrote that "this attractive but calculated attempt to connect ''Scooby-Doo'' to other Hanna-Barbera characters abandons the show's fun teen-detective format," and '' RogerEbert.com''s
Christy Lemire Christy A. Lemire (née Nemetz; born August 30, 1972) is an American film critic and host of the movie review podcast ''Breakfast All Day''. She previously wrote for the Associated Press from 1999 to 2013, was a co-host of '' Ebert Presents at ...
gave the film 1.5 out of 4 stars, finding the origin story to be "confounding and convoluted for a pretty straightforward Saturday morning cartoon".


Accolades

At the 46th People's Choice Awards, ''Scoob!'' received nominations for the Family Movie of 2020 and The Soundtrack Song of 2020. It also earned a pair of nominations for Best Animated Film from the
NAACP Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...
and the
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, also known as the KCAs or Kids' Choice, is an American annual awards ceremony show produced by Nickelodeon. Usually held on a Saturday night in March or early April, the show honors the year's biggest in tel ...
. At the 2021
Golden Trailer Awards The Golden Trailer Awards are an American annual award show for film trailers founded in 1999. The awards also honor the best work in all areas of film and video game marketing, including posters, television advertisements and other media, in 10 ...
, the film's "Stay at Home" (Buddha Jones) was nominated for Best Animation TrailerByte for a TV/Streaming Series.


Unreleased prequel

In June 2021, Cervone said that a follow-up to the film was in development. On December 22, 2021,
HBO Max Max (known in other countries as, and soon to be reverted globally to HBO Max) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming on behalf of Home Box Of ...
released a sizzle reel featuring a first look at a Christmas prequel film, titled '' Scoob! Holiday Haunt'', which was set to be released on the service in December 2022. The film takes place before the events of the first film, with Welker and the child actors from the previous film reprising their roles while Cervone returned to write the film with
Paul Dini Paul McClaran Dini (; born August 7, 1957) is an American writer, animator, and comic book artist. He has served as a producer and writer for several Warner Bros. Animation/DC Comics animated series, most notably ''Batman: The Animated Series' ...
as well to produce the project. The film was co-directed by the first film's animation director Bill Haller and Michael Kurinsky and had a production budget of $40 million. On August 2, 2022,
Warner Bros. Discovery Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media and Outline of entertainment, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It was formed from WarnerMedi ...
canceled its release, citing cost-cutting measures and a refocus on theatrical films rather than creating projects for streaming. Cervone would go on to say on the same day that the project was "practically finished". Later that month, it was reported that the film would still be finished, though Warner Bros. Discovery had no plans to release the film.


References


External links

* * {{Navboxes , title = ''Scoob!'' , list1 = {{Scooby-Doo {{Wacky Races {{Warner Bros. Pictures Animation {{Warner Bros. theatrical animated features {{H-B films {{Hanna-Barbera Super Heroes {{Warner Bros. animation and comics Scooby-Doo 2020 films 2020s adventure comedy films 2020s children's adventure films 2020s children's animated films 2020s children's comedy films 2020s English-language films 2020 adventure films 2020 American animated films 2020 computer-animated films American computer-animated films American detective films Animated films based on animated series Films directed by Tony Cervone Films produced by Allison Abbate Films produced by Pam Coats Films scored by Tom Holkenborg Hanna-Barbera animated films Reboot films Reel FX Creative Studios films Scooby-Doo animated films Wacky Races Warner Animation Group films Warner Bros. Animation films category:Animated films impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic