There's no need to ask Scooby-Doo, 'where are you?' anymore, as the beloved cartoon canine will soon be found on demand. That's right, Warner Bros, is 'scrappy-ing' a theatrical release for its animated movie Scoob! and sending the film straight to digital platforms on May 15. Zoinks, indeed!
“While we’re all eager to be able to once again show our films in theaters, we’re navigating new, unprecedented times which call for creative thinking and adaptability in how we distribute our content. We know fans are eager to see Scoob! and we’re delighted we can deliver this feel-good movie for families to enjoy while they’re home together," said Ann Sarnoff, the new chairman/CEO of Warner Bros.
Scoob! will be available for a 48-hour rental for the newly-adopted industry standard cost of $19.99, but in an expensive twist, the film will be available to buy for $24.99 -- five dollars more than Universal's Trolls World Tour, as well as new releases such as The Hunt, The Invisible Man and WB's own The Way Back. I assume that Warners realized that the $19.99 price point was actually a bargain for families with two or more children, and it wouldn't surprise me to see other studios follow suit on family titles.
Tony Cervone directed Scoob!, which boasts an all-star voice ensemble including Will Forte (Shaggy), Zac Efron (Fred), Gina Rodriguez (Velma), Amanda Seyfried (Daphne), Kiersey Clemons (Dee Dee), Ken Jeong (Dynomutt), Jason Isaacs (Dick Dastardly) and Mark Wahlberg (Blue Falcon), with Frank Welker voicing the title character. The film ends up keeping its release date, as it had been slated to hit theaters on May 15 -- just 12 days before WarnerMedia launches its new streaming service HBO Max.
I think it's safe to assume that Scoob! will eventually make its way to HBO Max, but it won't debut on that platform right out of the gate, as the film needs the chance to make back its production budget and marketing spend -- which may also explain the elevated price point for purchase. This isn't like the case of Frozen 2, which already enjoyed a robust theatrical run before Disney made it available on Disney+ three months earlier than planned. Warners couldn't afford to just give the Scooby-Doo movie away as a freebie to HBO Max subscribers, though the studio may follow in Disney's footsteps and shorten its VOD window.
All I know is, I grew up watching Scooby-Doo and dig this voice cast, so I'll probably check this movie out while my girlfriend is asleep. I probably would've gotten away with it too if it weren't for this meddling post I'll never be able to erase from the internet. To check out the latest trailer for Scoob!, click here!