New details about Mindy Kaling's upcoming Velma animated series were revealed today and some proposed changes are creating a surprising reaction.
Tom Ascheim, Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics, spoke at the virtual TV Kids Summer Festival 2021 online event and revealed some interesting changes to Kallng's upcoming Velma animated series 2021 that's eliciting some strong opinions online.
When asked about how WB has been finding and nuturing talent, Ascheim eventually pulled the curtain back a bit on the reimagined Scooby-Doo show, confirming that that there will be no dog or van on this interpretation of the legendary Hanna-Barbera prouctiion.
"We have a not for children, Mindy Kaling project called Velma because she was excited to reimagine what Scooby-Doo would be like if Velma were of East Asian descent and lived in a different world. And in that version, which is going on HBO Max first, there's no dog and no van but we have our 4 key characters through a different lens and I think it's great. Allowing our creators to play with our IP is super powerful."
The most prevalent response to this revelation is that, 'well, it's not Scooby-Doo' or 'that the character's not Velma, then.' Velma was actually trending on Twitter earlier this morning once Ascheim/s statements started to circulate.
However, we caution that there's been no footage released just yet so it seem somewhat silly to have such harsh reactions before any visuals or plot details have been released.
Also, the animated show won't actually be the first time Velma is portrayed by someone with Asian ancestry. Asian-American singer/actress Hayley Kiyoko portrayed the character in the 2009 and 2019 Cartoon Network live-action films, Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins and Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster.
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.