"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 animated series, "The Powerpuff Girls," to life was canceled amid various challenges. Recently, a teaser video that offers a glimpse into what the show could have been has emerged online, sparking curiosity and discussion among fans.

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. Clocking in at three and a half minutes, the trailer introduced a darker, more mature take on the iconic characters. In this version, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, portrayed by Chloe Bennet, Dove Cameron, and Yana Perrault respectively, are depicted as young adults grappling with real-world issues. Blossom is shown as stressed and burnt out, Bubbles turns to alcohol, and Buttercup rebels against societal norms.

The trailer's plot sees the trio accidentally causing the death of a character named Mojo, prompting them to 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 includes edgy humor, with references to juggalos and provocative language.

The CW has confirmed to Variety that the footage is authentic, though it was never meant 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 setback was the initial pilot, which CW chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz described as a "miss."

“The reason you do pilots is because sometimes things miss, and this was just a miss," Pedowitz explained. "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.”