The day has finally come, and we can all watch Scoob! (from the comfort of our own homes). The latest adaptation of the classic Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? had a rocky few months after the theatrical release was canned due to the Coronavirus pandemic, leading to Warner Bros. to take the route of other big studios and release the film the digitally. But with the return of Scooby-Doo and the rest of Mystery Machine gang, you're probably thinking about some of the other great Hanna-Barbera cartoons like The Jetsons and The Flintstones that could use the same treatment.
Don't worry, I'm right there with you. And that's why I've put together a list of nine Hanna-Barbera animated series that need to be made into a movie after Scoob! hit digital platforms in May 2020. If we get some of these adaptations, hopefully things have settled down and we get to see the likes of Jabberjaw on the silver screen.
The Jetsons
Of all the Hanna-Barbera cartoons, the 1960s Space Age animated series The Jetsons is near the top of the list. Centered around George Jetson, the family man of the future who works at Spacely's Sprockets, and his family, the series originally ran for one season before being rebooted in the 1980s. The revival spawned a film adaptation of its own with The Jetsons Movie in 1990, but if Scoob! proves to be successful, now would be the perfect time to revisit this classic. With an all-star cast and modern-day animation you have the recipe for a successful reboot of the fan-favorite.
The Flintstones
The Flintstones is another of the original Hanna-Barbera properties that has continued to be popular with fans of all ages for nearly 70 years now. Over the years, Fred Flintstone and the rest of Bedrock has been brought to the big screen multiple times but mostly as live-action adaptations, as opposed to animation. With the show's habit of making Stone Age versions of the modern technologies, just imagine how funny it would be to see a prehistoric version of Twitter or Facebook brought to life in a new animated movie. There's so much potential here for different gags and social references.
Yogi Bear
Another Hanna-Barbera property that has seen its fair share of film adaptations is Yogi Bear. Since debuting as a supporting character on The Huckleberry Hound Show back in 1958, Yogi has become and remained a cultural icon, enough so that the live-action/animated hybrid Yogi Bear that brought in $201 million worldwide upon its release in 2010 (with Dan Aykroyd voicing the lovable bear). Even though the last adaptation was released 10 years ago, a lot has happened to the world since then, and having Yogi and Boo-Boo Bear navigate modern times and threats to the natural world would make for some great scenarios as he looks for another picnic basket.
The Smurfs
Although The Smurfs originally started out as a Belgian comic series in 1958, the property and its iconic blue characters became a cultural phenomenon with the release of the 1980s Hanna-Barbera animated series. In addition to the main cartoon series, the property has also been adapted into numerous feature-length films, including the 2017 theatrical release of Smurfs: The Lost Village. And even though some of the other shows on this list are more due for film adaptation in the vein of Scoob!, we can never get enough of Papa Smurf, Smurfette, and those delectable Smurf berries.
Jonny Quest
Remember Jonny Quest, the 1960s animated series about a young boy who tags along with his scientist father, Dr. Benton C. Quest, his assistant, Roger T. "Race" Bannon, and his adoptive brother Hadji Singh? I wouldn't blame you because aside from a few reboots in the past 50 years, there hasn't been much from the boy wonder and his series of adventures. There have been talks of live-action adaptation for years, with talk of some version of the series getting the big screen treatment as recently as 2018, but there hasn't much in the news about Jonny Quest since then. Trying to find the right actors to portray the characters might be a sticking point, so going the route of an animated film might be the best route. Basically, I jus want Jonny Quest back.
Wacky Races
Growing up, one of my morning routines was to watch old reruns of Wacky Races while getting ready for school. The concept of taking nearly a dozen eccentric and unique characters, putting them in ridiculous vehicles, and sending them off on wild races was nothing short of high-octane magic. Besides a 2017 reboot, the series hasn't received much in terms of adaptations and has never seen the big screen. But now is the perfect time, especially since the show's villain Dick Dastardly and his canine sidekick Muttley are featured in Scoob!. Using the latest Scooby Doo adventure as way to kick off film adaptation of Wacky Races would be an ideal way of finally getting a film adaptation of the series.
Snorks
In addition to The Smurfs, Hanna-Barbera also produced another animated series based on a Belgian comic series in the '80s with the underground adventure series Snorks. Focused on the race of characters of the same name, the show ran from 1984 to 1989 and proved to be a success for the production company. But unlike The Smurfs, Snorks never made the transition to big screen. Whether if it was waning popularity or being awfully similar to its counterpart remains to be seen, but if a movie studio was looking for a somewhat forgotten series to breathe some life into, then this series would be an ideal candidate. And with animation progressing at a lightening pace, the underwater world featured in the show would be amazing to look at with modern CGI.
Space Ghost
I will admit it, I didn't know Space Ghost was an actual cartoon series until years after I started watching Space Ghost Coast To Coast as a kid in '90s. Little did I know that the late night show that poked fun at celebrities like Hulk Hogan, Bob Costas, and Moby ("Nobody cares, Moby") was a parody of a classic superhero series from the '60s. If you wanted to bring Space Ghost to the big screen now, you could go either route. Personally, I'd love to find a way to combine the two shows and make a movie about a superhero who moonlights as a struggling late night host. You could insert a ton of cultural references and meta jokes and combine those with the action from the original series for a fun take on the classic character.
Jabberjaw
And then there's everyone's favorite shark from the 1970s. No, not the shark from Jaws, but the titular character from the 1976 Hanna-Barbera animated series Jabberjaw. I mean, what's not to love about a 15-foot great white shark who can live out of water, plays the drums in a rock band, and change his physical form to create various objects? But over the years, it seems poor old Jabberjaw can't get no respect, and aside from reruns on a number of cable channels in the decades following the show's initial release. It might be too much of a hidden gem to get the attention that a movie like Scoob! is getting, but there's a lot that could be done with the concept of a shark who plays the drums and goes off on adventures.
Those are just nine of the shows that need to get a movie after the release of Scoob!. Do you agree with the list or do you think there are other Hanna-Barbera shows that need to get the big-screen treatment? Either way, let us know in the comments and make sure to check out the cast list from Scoob! to help you put a face to a name.
