Live-action Scooby-Doo TV series casts The Handmaid's Tale star in iconic role of Daphne
The live-action series has found its first member of Mystery Inc!
While it was announced last year that a live-action Scooby-Doo series would be coming to Netflix, the first casting announcement for the anticipated "modern reimagining" has now been made.
That's right, at long last, we now know just who will be playing Daphne and it's none other than The Handmaid's Tale star Mckenna Grace.
According to Variety, the actress will play a young Daphne Blake in the series, which is set to dig into the gang's beginnings.
Grace is known for her roles in the aforementioned Margaret Atwood adaptation, which saw her bag an Emmy nomination and made her the first child recognised for a guest acting Emmy at the time.
She is also known for starring in Crash & Bernstein, Regretting You, Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, as well as being set to star in Scream 7 and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
But this isn't Grace's first foray into Scooby-Doo territory as she has previously voice-acted for the younger role of Daphne in 2020's Scoob!, where Amanda Seyfried voiced the adult version of the character.
Of course, Sarah Michelle Gellar is perhaps the best known iteration of the character as she starred in the live-action 2002 film Scooby-Doo and its 2004 sequel, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.
As for this new Scooby Doo role, the official Netflix synopsis for the series reads: "Based on the characters from Hanna-Barbera, the latest show is a modern reimagining of the iconic mystery-solving group of teens and their very special dog.
"During their final summer at Camp Ruby-Spears, old friends Shaggy and Daphne 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."
Seeing as Scooby-Doo has been the basis of plenty of animated fun and its own live-action films, plenty of viewers will be waiting in anticipation to see how it translates as a Netflix series.
Watch Mckenna Grace discuss her role as a young Daphne in Scoob! below:
The new series will be headed up by showrunners Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg (and their production company Midnight Radio). Joining them as exec producers on the show are Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Leigh London Redman for Berlanti Productions, as well as André Nemec and Jeff Pinkner for Midnight Radio.
On the announcement of the series last March, Berlanti said in a statement: “One of my first and favourite jobs in Hollywood was sitting with Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera while they signed animation cels.
“Josh and Scott and everyone at Midnight Radio have crafted a story that captures their amazing spirits and their genius creation. We are grateful to them and everyone at Warner and Netflix for the partnership in helping bring this iteration of Scooby-Doo to life!”
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Peter Friedlander, vice president of scripted series at Netflix, also said: “Mystery Inc is back in business! We’re excited to bring Scooby-Doo to TV as a live-action series for the first time.
“The beloved franchise has had an impact on pop culture that is undeniable — it’s rich with universal themes of friendship that generations of fans have long embraced. Together with creative powerhouses Berlanti Productions and Midnight Radio, we’re committed to delighting longtime fans and opening up a world of groovy adventures for a new era of meddling kids.”
For the time being, Grace is the only cast member announced as part of the series but with a whole gang of characters to reveal, we'll just have to bide our time to find out who's next!
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
