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

Back in 2023, The CW's ambitious live-action series featuring the grown-up Powerpuff Girls was abruptly canceled amid various reported challenges. However, a new teaser video that surfaced online has given fans a glimpse into what the show might have been like, and it's certainly unique.

The teaser was initially uploaded to the YouTube channel "Lost Media Busters" early this morning but was quickly removed due to a copyright takedown issued by Warner Bros. Entertainment. The three-and-a-half-minute trailer introduces us to the series' premise: Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, now young adults, have left their childhood home behind. Blossom, portrayed by Chloe Bennet, is depicted as stressed and burnt out; Bubbles, played by Dove Cameron, struggles with drinking; and Buttercup, portrayed by Yana Perrault, adopts a rebellious attitude and challenges gender norms.

In the trailer, the trio accidentally kills a human named Mojo and subsequently flees Townsville. Years later, they return to visit their father, Professor Utonium, played by Donald Faison. They are confronted by Mojo's now-adult son, Jojo, who has become the mayor of Townsville, brainwashed its citizens, and seeks revenge against them. The trailer includes "edgy" humor, with references to juggalos and suggestive comments directed at Jojo's vendetta against Blossom.

The CW has confirmed to Variety that the footage is genuine, though this specific trailer was not intended for public release. The live-action Powerpuff Girls project was first announced in 2020 but faced cancellation in 2023 after several setbacks, including an unsuccessful pilot and the departure of Chloe Bennet from the cast.

CW's chairman and CEO, Mark Pedowitz, commented on the scrapped pilot, 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."