"Leaked Trailer Reveals Canceled Powerpuff Girls Live-Action Series"

Back in 2023, The CW's ambitious project to bring a live-action version of the beloved "Powerpuff Girls" to the screen was canceled amid various challenges. Recently, a teaser video that surfaced online gave fans a glimpse into what the show could have been, sparking both intrigue and controversy.

The video, which was briefly available on the YouTube channel "Lost Media Busters," was quickly removed due to a copyright claim by Warner Bros. Entertainment. Spanning three and a half minutes, the trailer introduced viewers to the grown-up versions of Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, portrayed by Chloe Bennet, Dove Cameron, and Yana Perrault, respectively. The series was set to explore the trio's life as young adults, with Blossom struggling with burnout, Bubbles dealing with alcohol, and Buttercup challenging societal norms.

In the trailer, the Powerpuff Girls accidentally cause the death of a man named Mojo and subsequently flee Townsville. Years later, they return to visit their father, Professor Utonium, played by Donald Faison, only to find themselves facing Mojo's vengeful son, Jojo, who has become the mayor and brainwashed the town's residents. The trailer's tone was notably edgy, featuring humor that included references to juggalos and provocative language.

The CW confirmed to Variety that the footage was authentic but clarified that it was not an official trailer intended for public release. The live-action "Powerpuff Girls" series was initially announced in 2020 but faced numerous hurdles, leading to its cancellation in 2023. A key factor was the unsuccessful pilot, which CW chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz described as a "miss."

Pedowitz elaborated on the decision, stating, "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."