CW Boss Explains Why Live-Action Powerpuff Girls Is Redoing Its Pilot

The live-action Powerpuff Girls show in the works at the CW was not picked up for a full series order, according to The Hollywood Reporter--and the pilot is going to be redone in order to reduce the "campy" feel of the first version. The cast and creative team behind the series isn't going anywhere, though.

Speaking to reporters in a call on May 25 (via The Wrap), CW CEO Mark Pedowitz stressed the support the network has for the cast and creative team, and that pilots are made precisely because things sometimes need to change.

"We believe in the cast and in Diablo [Cody] and Heather [Regnier] and [executive producer Greg Berlanti] and studio Warner Bros. In this case, the pilot didn’t work," Pedowitz explained. "Because we see enough elements in there, we wanted to give it another shot. Tonally, it might have felt a little too campy, and didn't feel as rooted in reality as it might have felt. You learn things when you test things out. We felt, 'Let’s take a step back and go back to the drawing board.' This is a powerful property, it engaged a lot of interest, and we want to get it right."

We've been covering news of the live-action Powerpuff Girls reboot for months, ever since we first learned of it in August 2020, as it scratches a certain nostalgic itch for those who watched Cartoon Network cartoons in the '90s. Apparently, the CW didn't like what they saw in the show's pilot offering--which isn't unusual, as plenty of prospective series never make it past the pilot stage. However, getting a second shot is less common, so the network clearly saw something with potential.

In March 2021, we learned who would be playing the grown-up versions of the titular all-female superhero team: Chloe Bennet (Agents of SHIELD) as Blossom, Dove Cameron (Descendants) as Bubbles, and Yana Perrault (Broadway's "Jagged Little Pill") as Buttercup. Those stars, along with Donald Faison as Powerpuff creator Professor Utonium, Nicholas Podany as the villainous Mojo Jojo, and Robyn Lively as the team's loyal ally Sara Bellum, will reportedly remain in their respective roles, as will those running the show behind the scenes, which includes Diablo Cody (Juno) along with Heather Regnier (Sleepy Hollow).

Of course, should this second stab at it succeed, this won't be the same old Powerpuff Girls we remember. CW published an official show synopsis recently: "The Powerpuff Girls used to be America's pint-sized superheroes, now they're disillusioned twentysomethings who resent having lost their childhood to crime fighting. Will they agree to reunite now that the world needs them more than ever?"

This official image also provides a first glimpse at the grown-up Powerpuffs:

It's not unheard of for pilots to be partially or totally re-shot before making it to series; the most infamous example in recent history may be Game of Thrones, whose original pilot was apparently terrible, before it went on to absolutely dominate pop culture for more than a decade. So there's definitely hope for the Powerpuff Girls live-action reboot.