Work is underway on Netflix's Scooby-Doo: Origins, and a new look at Mckenna Grace's transformation into the live-action Daphne Blake has been revealed (via Toonado.com). The actress looks like she's stepped straight out of the cartoon, and most agree that this is perfect casting.
Grace's star is on the rise. After standout turns as a child actress in I, Tonya, Captain Marvel, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife, she's racked up credits in movies like The Handmaid's Tale, Scream 7, and the upcoming The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Grace previously voiced Daphne in 2020's Scoob!.
The live-action streaming series is a modern reimagining of the beloved group of teens and their iconic dog, exploring the terrifying first case that brings Mystery Inc. together for good.
In Scooby-Doo: Origins, showrunners Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg (and their production company, Midnight Radio) are going back to the beginning, and the terrifying case that started it all.
"During their final summer at camp, old friends Shaggy and Daphne get embroiled in a haunting mystery surrounding a lonely, lost Great Dane puppy who may have been a witness to a supernatural murder," reads the official synopsis for the show.
"Alongside the pragmatic and scientific townie Velma and the strange but ever-so-handsome new kid Freddy, they set out to solve the case that’s pulling each of them into a creepy nightmare that threatens to expose all of their secrets."
The series stars Maxwell Jenkins as Fred Jones, Mckenna Grace as Daphne Blake, Abby Ryder Fortson as Velma Dinkley, and Tanner Hagen as Shaggy Rogers. Paul Water Hauser is also confirmed to appear, while it was recently reported that Roseanne alum Sara Gilbert has boarded the series.
Scooby-Doo: Origins will be executive produced by Rosenberg and Appelbaum, as well as Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman (via Berlanti Productions), and André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, and Adrienne Erickson (via Midnight Radio). Toby Haynes will also serve as an executive producer and direct the premiere episode.
"I'm so excited! I am so excited," Grace previously said of playing the iconic Scooby-Doo character. "I love Daphne. I dressed up as her for two or three Halloweens. I'm obsessed with Daphne. She is my favourite character. I'm so beyond. I'm estatic. I'm just going to rewatch every Scooby-Doo movie and series ever now."
We don't have a premiere date for Scooby-Doo: Origins yet, and a first look at the titular pooch has yet to be revealed. However, with Netflix set to be part of tomorrow's Upfronts in New York, it's possible we'll soon get to see more from the show.