In 2023, the anticipated live-action series featuring the grown-up Powerpuff Girls was canceled by The CW after facing numerous challenges. Recently, a teaser video emerged online, offering a glimpse into what the show could have been, sparking significant interest among fans.
The video, initially posted on the YouTube channel "Lost Media Busters," was swiftly removed due to a copyright claim by Warner Bros. Entertainment. Clocking in at three and a half minutes, the trailer outlines the series' plot: Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, portrayed by Chloe Bennet, Dove Cameron, and Yana Perrault respectively, have matured into young adults. Blossom struggles with stress and burnout, Bubbles turns to alcohol, and Buttercup rebels against societal norms.
Official images of the three Powerpuff Girls from CW's live-action effort: Dove Cameron, Chloe Bennet, and Yana Perrault.
In the trailer, the trio accidentally causes the death of a man named Mojo and subsequently flees Townsville. Years later, they return to visit their father, Professor Utonium, played by Donald Faison. They find that Mojo's son, Jojo, has become the mayor of Townsville, brainwashed its citizens, and is out for revenge. The trailer includes edgy humor, such as references to juggalos and a provocative remark about Jojo's feelings towards Blossom.
The CW confirmed to Variety that the footage is genuine, though it was never meant for public release.
Originally announced in 2020, the project faced multiple setbacks, leading to its cancellation in 2023. One major issue was the dissatisfaction with the initial pilot, which led to Chloe Bennet's departure. CW chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz explained, “The reason you do pilots is because sometimes things miss, and this was just a miss. We believe in the cast completely. We believe in Diablo [Cody] and Heather [Regnier], the writers. We believe in the auspices of Greg Berlanti and Warner studios. In this case, the pilot didn’t work. But because we see there’s enough elements in there, we wanted to give it another shot. So that’s why we didn’t want to go forward with what we had. Tonally, it might’ve felt a little too campy. It didn’t feel as rooted in reality as it might’ve felt. But again, you learn things when you test things out. And so in this case, we felt, let’s take a step back and go back to the drawing board.”
