Mindy Kaling to star in animated Scooby Doo prequel

The creative force behind The Mindy Project and Never Have I Ever is currently working on an animated origin story for Velma Dinkley, one of Scooby's faithful companions, which will air on HBO Max.

The original cartoon tells us very little about her - Velma has a distinctive look with her glasses and bold orange jumper, and she's much smarter than her friends (Shaggy's no brainbox, is he?). But otherwise there's not a great deal of character development...

This show promises to change that, helping us get to know Velma better. We're told that the 10-part series will tell the story of "the unsung and under-appreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. gang" and we're promised "an original and humorous spin that unmasks the complex and colourful past of one of America’s most beloved mystery solvers."

Kaling, who will also serve as executive producer on the show, simply called Velma, is thrilled to be involved. "I'm so excited to be voicing this iconic character!" she says. "Velma will struggle to navigate the pitfalls of high school, her budding sexuality and a serial killer intent on murdering every popular kid in town. Sounds epic, I can't wait!"

It remains to be seen whether Velma's friends Daphne, Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy will feature in the new series, but we're told it's aimed at adults, and is one of many animated series being greenlit by HBO Max at the moment. Others include a revamp of Clone High and new series Fired on Mars, which imagines a tech company on the Red Planet.

There is no news yet on when Velma will air or how UK viewers will be able to watch the series, but fingers crossed a British broadcaster picks the show up soon!

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