‘Velma’: HBO Max Unveils Trailer for Mindy Kaling’s Scooby Series (VIDEO)

Lisa Lagace January 11, 2023, 5:30 pm

Mindy Kaling‘s successful path with HBO Max continues as she is about to voice an iconic character in IP history: Velma. The series of the same name officially premieres Thursday, January 12, and the streamer has unveiled its full official trailer.

The Scooby-Doo character will finally receive her spotlight, giving fans of the smartest Scoob alum what they’ve long been wishing for.

According to the official logline, Velma tells “the origin story of Velma Dinkley (Kaling), the unsung and underappreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. gang. This original and humorous spin unmasks the complex and colorful past of one of America’s most beloved mystery solvers.”

(Credit: HBO Max)

The series is not without controversy though—Kaling spoke about the backlash when it was announced that Velma would be of South Asian decent to Seth Meyers, and mentioned it again in October at NYCC, noting:

“I think of the characters as so iconic, but nowhere is The Gang defined by their whiteness, except for Fred. So I was a little bit surprised. I think most Indian American girls, when they see, you know, this skeptical, hardworking kind of underappreciated character that they can identify with her.”

The first scene in the teaser smartly pokes fun at this kind of toxic fandom that can lead to such unnecessary backlash, with Velma writing an angry letter to HBO Max about a Judy Jetson origin story series where Judy isn’t boy crazy, writing “If there’s ONE thing the internet agrees on, it’s that you should never change anything ever!”