Back in 2023, fans of the iconic animated series, the Powerpuff Girls, were disappointed when The CW canceled a highly anticipated live-action adaptation of the show following a series of challenges. Recently, a teaser video that offers a glimpse into what the show could have been like has emerged online, stirring up mixed reactions among fans and critics alike. This intriguing footage was initially shared on the YouTube channel "Lost Media Busters," but it was quickly taken down due to a copyright claim by Warner Bros. Entertainment.
The three-and-a-half-minute trailer dives into the lives of the beloved characters as adults. Blossom, portrayed by Chloe Bennet, is depicted as stressed and burnt out; Bubbles, played by Dove Cameron, turns to drinking; and Buttercup, brought to life by Yana Perrault, is shown as rebellious and critical of societal gender norms. The narrative kicks off with the trio accidentally causing the death of a man named Mojo, prompting them to flee their hometown, Townsville. Years later, they return to visit their father, Professor Utonium, portrayed by Donald Faison, only to confront Mojo's son, Jojo, who has become the mayor of Townsville and is bent on revenge after brainwashing the town's residents. The trailer includes some edgy humor, with Bubbles joking about juggalos and Buttercup making a bold comment about Jojo's feelings towards Blossom.
The CW has acknowledged to Variety that the footage is indeed genuine, though it was never meant for public release. The live-action Powerpuff Girls project was initially announced in 2020 but faced numerous hurdles, leading to its cancellation in 2023. A significant setback was the failure of the initial pilot, which prompted the departure of Chloe Bennet from the series.
Reflecting on the project, CW chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz commented, "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."
