HBO Max has released the first trailer for Velma, the upcoming adult animated series based on the character of the same name from Scooby Doo. The series is a departure from the child-friendly character from the Scooby Doo comics.
The show will follow Velma Dinkley and her group of friends as they attempt to solve the mystery of a dead classmate who was found in a locker room at their high school.
Mindy Kaling, of The Office fame, will voice the titular character. She will also serve as the executive producer.
Kaling is of South Asian origin, which led fans of the original Scooby Doo comics to express anger at her portrayal of Velma. When Kaling about this at this year's New York Comic Con, she had the following to say, "I think of the characters in this are iconic but in no way …are they defined by their whiteness. Most Indian American [women], when they see skeptical, hardworking under-appreciated characters, they can identify with her. The vast majority are ready for it. This show is for them."
The trailer begins with Velma sending HBO Max her very angry thoughts about the fictitious Judy Jetson’s origin story, which mirrors some fans’ reactions to the platform’s decision to give her a South Asian background. While she types (and reads her text out loud), a knife-wielding serial killer breaks into her home. After she sends the text, the serial killer calls her with her unknown number, informs her he is in her home, and tells her to solve the mystery. The trailer ends with blood splashing across her window.
Here is Velma's synopsis as per HBO Max:
Velma is an adult animated comedy series telling the origin story of Velma Dinkley, the unsung and underappreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. gang. An original and humorous spin that unmasks the complex and colorful past of one of America's most beloved mystery solvers, executive producer Mindy Kaling will voice the titular character. Charlie Grandy, Howard Klein and Sam Register also serve as executive producers. Velma is produced by Warner Bros. Animation.
Apart from Kaling, the show will also feature Constance Wu, Sam Richardson, and Glenn Howerton as Daphne Blake, Norville "Shaggy" Rogers, and Fred respectively. The show will also feature many guest stars in other roles, including Sarayu Blue, Jane Lynch, Wanda Sykes, Shay Mitchell, Weird Al Yankovic, Ken Leung, and several other amazing actors. In a surprising twist, the series, although based on the Scooby Doo comics, will not feature the beloved dog.
HBO Max will release Velma sometime in 2023. However, the exact date is not yet known.
