Powerpuff, the live-action reboot of The Powerpuff Girls, is still in active development at The CW, despite the cartoon also returning.
First announced in 2020, Powerpuff was a reimagining of the Cartoon Network classic that would depict Townsville's greatest heroes as "disillusioned twentysomethings who resent having lost their childhood to crime fighting" who "agree to reunite now that the world needs them more than ever." The pilot for the reboot was written by Diablo Cody and Heather Regnier and starred Chloe Bennet, Dove Cameron and Yana Perrault as Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup, respectively. However, the project has already suffered setbacks, including an overwhelmingly negative reaction to the leaked pilot script and Bennet departing the series. However, both CW CEO Mark Pedowitz and TVLine have said that Powerpuff is still in active development.
Created by Craig McCracken, the original The Powerpuff Girls ran from 1998 to 2005 on Cartoon Network, ending its time on the air with 76 episodes, three specials and a theatrical feature film released in 2002. A reboot of the series debuted in 2016 without the involvement of McCracken or the girls' original voice actors and was concluded in 2019. Recently, it was announced that McCracken would return for another reboot of The Powerpuff Girls as well as his other Cartoon Network creation, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
"The Hanna-Barbera homecoming of Craig was an opportunity we could not pass up," said Sam Register, the president of Cartoon Network Studios, Warner Bros. Animation, and HBSE. "Along with his unparalleled sense of fun and imagination, he’s bringing two of his greatest works in The Powerpuff Girls and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and we are so excited for these characters to be a part of the new legacy taking shape at the studio."
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends came from an idea McCracken had about a pet shelter for whimsical childhood creations. Like Powerpuff Girls, the series was a hit for Cartoon Network, producing 79 episodes and 18 shorts from 2004 to 2009. The reboot will reportedly focus on a new cast of characters and be aimed at a preschool demographic. McCracken's other creations include the space opera Wander Over Yonder for Disney XD and the superhero adventure Kid Cosmic for Netflix.
Powerpuff doesn't yet have a premiere date.
Source: TV Line