Back in 2023, The CW made headlines when it canceled a highly anticipated live-action series featuring the beloved Powerpuff Girls. The project faced numerous challenges and was ultimately shelved. However, a teaser video has recently emerged online, giving fans a glimpse of what the show could have been. The footage, described as "interesting" by many, surfaced on the YouTube channel "Lost Media Busters" earlier today but was quickly removed due to a copyright claim by Warner Bros. Entertainment.
The three-and-a-half-minute trailer sets the scene for the series, depicting Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup as young adults who have moved out of their childhood home. Blossom, portrayed by Chloe Bennet, is shown struggling with stress and burnout. Bubbles, played by Dove Cameron, has turned to drinking, while Buttercup, portrayed by Yana Perrault, exhibits a rebellious streak and challenges gender norms. The plot thickens when the trio accidentally causes the death of a human named Mojo and subsequently flees Townsville. Years later, they return to visit their father, Professor Utonium, played by Donald Faison, only to find that Mojo's son, Jojo, has become the mayor and is seeking revenge against them after brainwashing the city's residents. The trailer is laced with edgy humor, including references to juggalos and provocative quips.
The CW has confirmed to Variety that the leaked footage is genuine, though it was never meant to be released to the public. The live-action Powerpuff Girls series was first announced in 2020 but faced cancellation in 2023 after various setbacks, including an unsuccessful pilot and the exit of Chloe Bennet from the project.
Reflecting on the project's challenges, CW chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz stated, "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."
