Aug 3, 2022

Scooby! Sequel Directors Want 'Christmas Miracle' After Warner Bros. Shelves Nearly Finished Film

Despite the film being nearly complete, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has released the following statement to Cartoon Brew from 2020's Scoob.[Directors Michael Krinsky and Bill Haller We are lifelong Scooby-Doo fans and this has been a true passion project for us. We are not certain what the fate of our film will be, but for the sake of our crew and Scooby fans, we are hoping for a Christmas miracle. Thanks to all of you for your love and support, and we hope to see you again soon.

How far along was production when the film was scrapped - In an interview on the popular JayBee & Milly Youtube channel last week, Krinsky said the film was nearing completion and all the animation was finished. On social media this week, several artists who worked on the film corroborated Krinsky's assessment of the production. Screenwriter Paul Dini tweeted:

Yes, I'm a co-writer, but why cancel a holiday movie that is 95% complete this close to fall when it is guaranteed to be seen by kids right after Halloween and at least through the New Year?

And Tony Cervone, the film's other co-writer, said on Instagram:

Yes, this is true. The film is practically finished and beautifully done. I am beyond heartbroken

How much will Warner lose by canceling the film? It seems counterintuitive to let that investment disappear as a sunk cost. By scrapping the film, the studio would also forgo potential box office revenue. For comparison, the first film of "Scoob." was released on the HBO Max platform and grossed $28.6 million worldwide, even though it was released at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when most theaters either restricted seating or closed completely.

When did the film's crew learn that their work was being discontinued - it seems that those who worked on the film learned yesterday that Warner was pulling the plug. During an appearance on JayBee & Milly last week, Krinsky was still talking passionately about the production (link below). If the director was still under the impression that he would finish the film, it seems safe to assume that those working on the film's animation at Warner Animation Group in LA and Reel FX Animation in Montreal are in the dark as well.

Why Warner Bros. Canceled a Nearly Finished Film - According to some reports, Warner's top brass canceled "Holiday Hunt" because the former CEO of Discovery, who earlier this year completed the merger of Discovery and Warner Media, and WB's The reason is that it did not fit the theatrical-priority distribution plan favored by David Zaslav, who took the top job at The WB after the merger of Discovery and Warner Media was completed earlier this year. Since taking the job, Zaslav has made a major departure from the strategy employed by his predecessor, Jason Killer, who prioritized streaming distribution. It is generally believed that "Holiday Hunt" had no place in the company's distribution plans because the company did not see it as a potential theatrical release.

What WBD said about the cancellation - In a statement referring to "Holiday Hunt" and the similarly canceled live-action "Batgirl," the company said: "We are very grateful to the producers of "Batgirl" and "Scooby-Doo Holiday Hunt" and their respective casts. We are very grateful to the producers of "Batgirl" and "Scooby's Holiday Hunt" and their respective casts and hope to collaborate with them again in the near future.

Will we see "Scoob.: Holiday Haunt"? The film is nearing completion and it is strange and almost unbelievable that the studio can't find a way to capitalize on what they have already made. WBD has made no indication that the shelving of the film is temporary, but Krinsky is calling on fans to start a campaign to save the film:

Thank you, Scooby-Doo fans. It means everything to me. Let everyone know. #Storyboard artist Tom Caulfield immediately agreed and released some sketches of the film in production.

I was so lucky to be a part of the #Scooby production. So sad about the new #ScoobyDoo Movie and the decision to cancel #SaveScoobHolidayHaunt pic.twitter.com/JPy45p3fbL

- Tom Caulfield. (@TomCaulfield01) August 3, 2022