Velma


 * This article is about the TV series. For the character herself, see Velma Dinkley.

Velma, also known as Velma: The Series, is an upcoming American adult animated mystery television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation for HBO Max in 2023. It is the fourteenth Scooby-Doo series after Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!

Velma attends high school while a serial killer targets all the popular kids in the city of Crystal Cove.

Development
The "Velma" name was trademarked and the series was announced on February 10, 2021 with a 10 episode order from HBO Max, with Warner Bros. Animation producing. The same day on Instagram, Mindy Kaling one of its executive producers who will also star as its lead, shed some light on the above-mentioned plot, while also making a point of mentioning Velma's budding sexuality.

On June 8, 2021, Tom Ascheim, President of Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics, claimed the series was in a "different world," that Velma would be of East Asian descent, and would include Shaggy, Fred, and Daphne, but not Scooby, or the Mystery Machine.

Production officially began on June 1, 2021.

On May 18, 2022, Kaling presented the first look of the series at the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront.

Two months later on July 11, the trademark of "Velma" was abandoned for unclear reasons, but was reinstated on October 5, after a grant extension was approved.

Despite this, the series was still in production, with the first episode set to premiere at New York Comic Con on October 3. Joining Kaling on stage was Charles Howerton, Constance Wu, and Sam Richardson, who were revealed to be playing Fred, Daphne, and Shaggy (or rather, Norville), respectively.

Twitter and Instagram social accounts were launched on September 3.

On October 6, 2022, a teaser trailer was released, mocking the negative fan reactions to the changes, by using Velma to complain about an in-universe change surrounding Judy Jetson, but relieved she was still kept white, as well as a new killer on the loose within Velma's house. The trailer ended with the announcement that the series would be streamed in 2023.

The character of Scooby-Doo was not included by the producers because they felt didn't feel he was appropriate in an adult setting, combined with the fact that Warner Bros. Animation forbade it. Although dogs like him may be alluded to.

Casting
On the same day the series was announced to be in development, Mindy Kaling was confirmed to be the voice of Velma.

In December 2021, Frank Welker, the original voice of Fred, revealed he would be playing new a character, which turned out to be none other than Fred's dad, William.

Cast

 * Mindy Kaling as Velma Dinkley
 * Constance Wu as Daphne Blake
 * Glenn Howerton as Fred Jones
 * Sam Richardson as Norville Rogers

Celebrity guests

 * Cherry Jones
 * "Weird Al" Yankovic
 * Russell Peters
 * Wanda Sykes
 * Melissa Fumero
 * Stephen Root
 * Gary Cole
 * Fortune Feimster
 * Yvonne Orji
 * Sarayu Blue
 * Nicole Byer
 * Ming-Na Wen
 * Shay Mitchell
 * Debby Ryan
 * Jane Lynch
 * Kulap Vilaysack
 * Karl-Anthony Towns

Videos
Teaser trailer: