Following the disappointment of SCOOB!, the Mystery Inc. team will return in an animated form later this year in Happy Halloween, Scoob-Doo! In their first Halloween movie mystery, Scooby-Doo and the gang team up with Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, and Bill Nye the Science Guy as they attempt to solve a "mystery of gigantic proportions and save Crystal Cove." The trailer teases a familiar Batman villain in Dr. Jonathan Crane, aka The Scarecrow, as he attempts to infect the local neighborhood pumpkin patch with toxic ooze to create dangerous high-flying jack-o-lanterns.
Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo! features the familiar voices of Frank Welker as Scooby-Doo/Fred Jones, Grey Griffin as Daphne Blake, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy Rogers and Kate Micucci as Velma Dinkley. There was particular blowback for Scoob! when many of these fan-favorite voice actors weren't brought in to voice the beloved characters, so it's nice to see the fan-preferred actors returning.
Cassandra Peterson returns to voice Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, while Bill Nye will obviously voice himself. The animated film was written, produced and directed by Maxwell Atoms (Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Evil Con Carne) with Sam Register (Looney Tunes Cartoons) serving as executive producer.
With fake monsters and candy galore, Halloween is heaven for these hungry foodies going door-to-door. But this year, their sweet holiday turns sour when the neighborhood pumpkin patch is infected by toxic ooze, creating high-flying jack-o-lanterns, and a king-sized pumpkin leader squashing everything in its path. It’s up to Scooby-Doo and the gang as they team up with their pals, Bill Nye the Science Guy and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, to solve this mystery of gigantic proportions and save Crystal Cove!
Over the years, Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang have teamed up with a number of high-profile guest stars to help solve mysteries. This also isn't the first time the series has crossed over with the Batman franchise. 2018's Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold saw the team take on a number of Gotham villains.
SCOOB! was supposed to be the start of the Hanna-Barbera Cinematic Universe, as the team paired with other classic characters like Blue Falcon to help thwart Dick Dastardly; but, with a lukewarm reception and overall disappointment in the movie, it remains to be seen what happens with that plan. In the meantime, Warner Bros. seems content to push out individual specials like Happy Halloween, Scoob-Doo! that will also continue to emphasize appealing crossovers but perhaps not be a part of a cinematic universe. Happy Halloween, Scoob-Doo! will premiere on Digital and DVD this fall.