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

Back in 2023, the live-action series featuring the grown-up Powerpuff Girls was canceled by The CW after facing numerous challenges. Recently, a teaser video that gives a glimpse into what the show could have been like has surfaced online, sparking interest and discussion among fans.

The video, which was briefly available on the YouTube channel "Lost Media Busters," was quickly taken down due to a copyright claim by Warner Bros. Entertainment. The three-and-a-half-minute trailer introduced the series' premise: Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, now young adults, have left their childhood home. Blossom, portrayed by Chloe Bennet, is depicted as stressed and burnt out; Bubbles, played by Dove Cameron, turns to drinking; and Buttercup, portrayed by Yana Perrault, is shown as rebellious and challenging 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 encounter Mojo's adult son, Jojo, who has become the mayor of Townsville, brainwashed its citizens, and is now seeking revenge. The trailer includes edgy humor, such as Bubbles joking about juggalos and Buttercup making a provocative comment about Jojo's feelings towards Blossom.

The CW has confirmed to Variety that the footage is authentic, though it was not an official trailer intended for public release.

The live-action Powerpuff Girls project was first announced in 2020 but was ultimately canceled in 2023 following several setbacks, including an unsuccessful pilot and the departure of Chloe Bennet from the cast.

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