Paul Walter Hauser Eyed to Star in Netflix’s ‘Scooby-Doo’ Live-Action Series

Here’s an interesting update (via What’s on Netflix). Sources tell the outlet that Paul Walter Hauser has an offer on the table to star in Netflix’s upcoming live-action “Scooby-Doo” series.

The project, courtesy of Warner Bros. Television, currently has writers Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg (“Cowboy Bebop,” “Citadel”) at the helm. Frank Welker is confirmed to voice Scooby-Doo, while McKenna Grace will play Daphne Blake. Hauser has reportedly been offered the role of “Scooby’s original owner.”

Production is expected to begin in Atlanta on April 27 and run through September. The series will be titled “Scooby-Doo: Origins” and will explore how the Mystery Inc. gang first came together and teamed up to crack the haunting case that started it all.

Here’s the synopsis:

During their final summer at Camp Ruby-Spears, old friends Shaggy and Daphne (Grace) get embroiled in a haunting mystery surrounding a lonely lost Great Dane puppy that may have been a witness to a supernatural murder. Together with the pragmatic and scientific townie, Velma, and the strange, but ever so handsome new kid, Freddy, they set out to solve the case that is pulling each of them into a creepy nightmare that threatens to expose all of their secrets.

Hollywood has been trying — and failing — to crack the code on live-action “Scooby-Doo” for years. Ever since the early-2000s films starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Linda Cardellini, and (Tarantino favorite) Matthew Lillard, faded into cult nostalgia, the franchise has been stuck in development limbo. Even the animated film “Scoob!” was meant to kickstart a larger Hanna-Barbera cinematic universe before it got kiboshed by David Zaslav.

If Hauser’s participation is confirmed, it would be a major win for the series. He’s consistently a welcome presence in any movie or TV show he appears in. Highlights from his filmography include “Richard Jewell,” “I, Tonya,” and “BlacKkKlansman.” He also won the 2023 Emmy Award for Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his performance in “Black Bird.”

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