LOS ANGELES - Warner Bros. is bringing back the Scooby-Doo franchise with an animated movie set for release on Sept. 21, 2018.

Producers are Charles Roven and Richard Suckle, who were producers on the studio's live-action films "Scooby-Doo" and "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed." Allison Abbate, who has credits on "Fantastic Mr. Fox," "Corpse Bride" and "Frankenweenie," is also producing.

The untitled film will be directed by "Space Jam" helmer Tony Cervone, whose TV credits include Cartoon Network's "The Looney Tunes Show" and "Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated." Matt Lieberman ("Dr. Dolittle: Tail to the Chief") wrote the screenplay, while Dan Povenmire ("Family Guy") is on board as an executive producer.

The new Scooby-Doo feature will be a Warner Bros. Pictures presentation under the Warner Animation Group banner, which rose to prominence last year with "The Lego Movie."

"Like countless fans, I have always loved the Hanna-Barbera cast of characters," said Greg Silverman, president of creative development and worldwide production. "As one of their most famous brand ambassadors, Scooby-Doo will take the lead in re-introducing this pantheon of enduringly popular animated stars on a grand scale with an exciting new movie."

Variety reported in 2013 that the project was in the works. At that point, Roven and Suckle were producing, with Lieberman on board to write the script.

2002's "Scooby-Doo" mixed live-action actors with the titular Great Dane, which was computer-generated, as did "Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed" two years later. The first film generated $275 million worldwide, and the second followed with $180 million.

The original animated TV series "Scooby-Doo: Where Are You?" was created by Hanna-Barbera and first aired in 1969.