A collective “Zoinks” was heard worldwide as we’ve learned Max will renew Velma for season two.
The news comes from Suzanna Makkos, EVP, Original Comedy and Adult Animation, Max & Adult Swim, who revealed the second season of Velma during a panel at Annecy International Animated Film Festival Thursday.
Leading the series is Velma, voiced by Mindy Kaling. The first season followed Velma Dinkley as the unsung and underappreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. gang. It served as a unique spin to “unmask the complex and colorful past of one of America’s most beloved mystery solvers.”
The series also stars Constance Wu, Sam Richardson, and Glenn Howerton in leading roles. Rounding out the ensemble cast in unknown roles is Jane Lynch, Wanda Sykes, Russell Peters, Melissa Fumero, Stephen Root, Gary Cole, Ken Leung, Cherry Jones, Frank Welker, Weird Al Yankovic, Fortune Feimster, Yvonne Orji, Sarayu Blue, Nicole Byer, Ming-Na Wen, Shay Mitchell, Debby Ryan, Kulap Vilaysak, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
When it first aired, Velma faced backlash for changing the formula a bit too much. The series currently sits on Rotten Tomatoes with a critic score of 40% and an audience score of 7%. Many felt the characters were too different, and it didn’t feel like anything related to Scooby-Doo, while others turned to more “anti-woke” criticism.
The show’s edgy jokes and alt stylings are precisely what Max and Suzanna Makkos want from their adult animation. Makkos praised the series and the upcoming slate during Annecy.
“The series that we create at Max are art and voice-driven, with character and comedy coming before anything else,” said Makkos. “We’re always looking for hard comedy with heart and edge, diverse and inclusive shows with underlying thematic resonance, and character design that showcases the hand of the artist. I am so excited to share these incredible series with the world and continue to show why Max is a great home for adult animation.”
Charlie Grandy will return, who serves as showrunner and executive producer alongside Mindy Kaling.
