Scooby-Doo is headed to Japan in a new anime-inspired spin-off series

Scooby-Doo
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Scooby-Doo and Shaggy are headed to Japan in an all-new spin-off series set to air on Cartoon Network.

Go-Go Mystery Machine was announced at The Annecy International Animation Film Festival as part of the upcoming Warner Bros Animation line-up. Per the official synopsis: "While visiting Japan on the ultimate foodie adventure, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo unwittingly unleash hundreds of mischievous mythical monsters that are now causing trouble all over the country,” the description runs. "Scooby turns to his uncle, Daisuke-Doo, and magical friend Etsuko and gadget wiz Toshiro to help solve the mystery and catch the monsters" (H/T Variety). 

The premise reminds us a bit of the 1985 spin-off series The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo. The official teaser image for the series, which can be viewed above, sees Shaggy and Scooby being chased by monsters (though not all of them seem unfriendly) while seated in the back of a reimagined pick-up truck version of the classic Mystery Machine. There's also a very cute Shiba Inu in the front seat.

Other projects on the line-up include Adventure Time spin-off series Adventure Time: Side Quests and an Untitled Regular Show Project from creator J.G. Quintel.

The news of a brand new Scooby-Doo project sounds pretty promising given that Warner Bros. Discovery famously canceled Scoob! Holiday Haunt, a sequel to Scoob!, back in 2022. Because the film was finished despite cancellation, we're hoping it makes it to streaming eventually.

Go-Go Mystery Machine does not yet have a release date. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2024 and beyond.

Lauren Milici
Senior Writer, Tv & Film

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for 12DOVE currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.