In 2023, The CW's ambitious project to bring a live-action version of the beloved animated series, "The Powerpuff Girls," to life was abruptly canceled amid various challenges. Recently, a teaser video that surfaced on the YouTube channel "Lost Media Busters" has given fans a glimpse into what could have been. However, the video was quickly removed due to a copyright claim by Warner Bros. Entertainment.
The three-and-a-half-minute trailer showcased a darker, more adult-oriented take on the iconic characters. Blossom, portrayed by Chloe Bennet, is depicted as stressed and burnt out; Bubbles, played by Dove Cameron, struggles with alcohol; and Buttercup, brought to life by Yana Perrault, rebels against societal norms. The plot follows the trio as they accidentally kill a man named Mojo and flee Townsville, only to return years later to confront Mojo's vengeful son, Jojo, who has become the mayor and brainwashed the town's residents. The trailer includes edgy humor, such as references to juggalos and provocative comments aimed at adding a mature twist to the original series.
The CW confirmed to Variety that the leaked footage was genuine but not intended for public viewing. The live-action adaptation was first announced in 2020 but faced significant hurdles, leading to its eventual cancellation in 2023. One major setback was the failure of the initial pilot, which CW chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz described as a "miss." Despite believing in the cast and the creative team behind the project, including writers Diablo Cody and Heather Regnier, and producer Greg Berlanti, the network felt the pilot was too campy and not grounded enough in reality.
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 and Heather, 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."
This glimpse into the potential live-action series has left fans pondering what might have been, and whether a more refined approach could have brought the Powerpuff Girls to life in a way that resonated with both new audiences and long-time fans.
