Home Movie News New ‘Scooby-Doo’ Movie Featuring The Hex Girls Axed at Warner Bros. Discovery

These meddling kids just can’t catch a break.

Image via Warner Bros.

Over the last number of months, Warner Brothers Discovery and the company’s new CEO David Zaslav have been reshaping the studio’s offerings from the DC Universe and beyond. This included canceling films like Batgirl and The Wonder Twins. However, another major franchise that has been affected by the recent WBD merger has been a pup named Scooby-Doo. The classic animated series saw its sequel to Scoob!, Scoob: Holiday Haunt axed in favor of a tax write-off last summer. However, while many Scooby-Doo fans weren’t happy with the decision, it has been learned that this wasn’t the only cancelled Scooby-Doo film. Director Carolyn Gair recently revealed that her film Scooby-Doo and the Haunted High Rise also became the victim of the dreaded tax write-off. The worst part is, the movie was set to bring back the series’ fan-favorite fictional band The Hex Girls.

The Haunted High Rise
This news comes courtesy of an interview with the JayBee & Milly YouTube channel where Gair talked as much as she could about the canned Hex Girl film. Apparently, this was a project that was also deep into its production. The voice-over work was all finished and the animation process was about to start when Zaslav cut the film. If that news couldn’t get any worse, the original Hex Girl voice actors Jennifer Hale (Thorn), Kimberly Brooks (Luna), and Jane Wiedlin (Dusk) had returned for the film and even new songs which, given The Hex Girls’ track record, would have been instant classics.

The Hex Girls’ Legacy
There’s really not much else known about the project, but over the last 25 years, The Hex Girls have become animation royalty. The music group debuted in 1999’s beloved Scooby-Doo and the Witch’s Ghost. This was the sequel to Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island which reinvigorated interest in the iconic franchise. The Hex Girls were riffing on the girl bands of the time with a signature Scooby-Doo flavor that was to die for. Thorn, Luna, and Dusk all had this distinct style with their songs being some of the catchiest tunes you will ever hear. “Hex Girl,” “Earth, Wind, Fire, and Air”, “The Witch’s Ghost”, and “Scooby Snacks” are just a few of their iconic hits. After their debut appearance, they would be featured in several other Scooby projects and most animated iterations of the franchise going forward. This would include What’s New Scooby-Doo?, Scooby-Doo and the Legend of The Vampire, Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated, and Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?. Even though they have only existed for less than half of Scooby’s 50-plus-year lifespan, it’s hard to imagine a time in the franchise without this Goth-loving rock band. Like Scooby himself, The Hex Girls have been included on countless merchandise and the band has even received their own Funko Pops.

Image via Warner Bros.

RELATED: They Cut the Queer Out of ‘Scooby-Doo’ Movie According to Sarah Michelle Gellar

The State of Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo’s in a bit of an odd spot at the moment. The franchise just finished up the first season of its adult series Velma which was full of blood, murder, and crude self-aware humor. While most fans of the franchise hated the show, Season 2 is already underway, and it’s actually a pretty fun series. Hopefully, the Hex Girls can make an appearance in the HBO series.

The animated direct-to-video film Trick or Treat, Scooby-Doo!, which Gair was a storyboard artist on, was also released last fall after the news that the Scoob! Sequel was shelved. The film was a great homage to the franchise and pushed the series into the 21st century by having Velma come out as a lesbian. It was a wonderful step forward for the franchise, but Zaslav hasn’t made any friends with this Hex Girl news. If there’s one thing you don’t take away from Scooby-Doo fans, it’s more Hex Girl content. From the sounds of it, Haunted High Rise was going to put the spooky band at the forefront of the story. While thinking about what could have been with this second canceled Scooby-Doo film, you can watch The Hex Girls jamming out in The Witch’s Ghost down below. Most of the Scooby-Doo franchise is now streaming on HBO Max.