Scoob! Holiday Haunt's completion was a sombre affair for the crew. The cancellation of the film’s release meant that the crew was essentially completing a project that would never see the light of day. Director Michael Kurinsky spoke about that prospect in a recent interview and shed some light on why he thought it was important to finish the film regardless.
Scoob! Holiday Haunt would have been the sequel to 2020’s Scoob! It would have told the story of Scooby-Doo's first Christmas with the Mystery Inc. gang. As always, their vacation would’ve been halted by their need to investigate a creepy caper. As part of Warner Bros. Discovery's recommitment to theatrical fare rather than streaming content, the film’s release was cancelled despite its production nearly being complete (much like the cancellation of the Batgirl film).
Kurinsky offered some insight into his feelings about the Scoob! Holiday Haunt cancellation in an interview with Variety. “I’ve been working in this industry for 27, 28 years, something like that,” he said. “This is the thing that I have worked my whole career for, and it finally happened. And then eight weeks before we were done, things changed.” He further revealed that the film was closer to release than previously realized, saying, “We had a few hundred shots that needed to be finished, lit, rendered and then approved. We had a certain amount of time to finish those shots, and we did. I heard numbers like it was about 95% finished. That’s pretty close.”
Kurinsky also alleges that the crew found out about the cancellation of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon in an unorthodox way. “According to Warner Brothers, news had gotten leaked. And they weren’t able to call us by the time this news had leaked. So, we found out in a shocking way,” he recalls. “In our phone calls that we had with people, they explained that this is what’s happening. And because we are taking this tax write-off, we can’t monetize it. That’s how it was explained to me.”
Hearing more about how the crew behind Scoob! Holiday Haunt were treated serves as a reminder of how Warner Bros. Discovery's cancellations affected creatives. Kurinsky said he had to serve as a cheerleader for the rest of the crew, while he was “really hurting inside.” He also makes a metaphor about a tree falling in the woods when no one’s around to hear it. According to Kurinsky, now that he’s worked on this project, he knows the answer is yes.
Unfortunately, it seems like a sentiment of resentment is really bubbling up against Warner Bros. Discovery. One anonymous Batgirl actor even reportedly called Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav an “imbecile,” and even those outside of the industry seem displeased with the moves. While Warner Bros. Discovery will be getting tax write-offs in the short term, is it worth it to alienate their creative base, which will influence what they can bring to the table in the long term?
Source: Variety