[Pilot] Powerpuff (aka The Powerpuff Girls)

[Primal Slayer]

Quote

The CW is looking to add an extra ingredient to its lineup… Chemical X! A live-action adaptation of The Powerpuff Girls is now in development at the network, our sister site Deadline reports, with Diablo Cody and Arrowverse boss Greg Berlanti attached as executive producers.

Per the project’s official synopsis, “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?”

https://tvline.com/2020/08/24/powerpuff-girls-live-action-series-the-cw-adult-drama/ 

[AnimeMania]

Three sexy twenty-something year old girls flying around in short skirts, I would watch that.

[Trini]

This sounds like a bad idea to me. Taking one of my favorite cartoons and then "CW-ing" it. And I'm pretty sure they're not going to have the VFX budget to do as much superheroing as the original show, so it will probably end up mostly about interpersonal drama and convoluted to nonsensical 'mysteries'.

I'm actually not opposed to an adaptation with the girls aged up; but I'd want the original creators/etc. involved and for it to have a similar tone as the original cartoon series. (The original mostly parodied superhero/anime tropes, and juxtaposed the sweet little girls with their formidable superpowers.) But nothing that's been reported sounds like this will be like that. I can imagine a version where they could have fun with the concept of twenty-somethings with powers; but I doubt "fun" is what they are going for, or is what we'd get.

Well, CW (Berlanti?) really seem to be interested in female super/heroes right now.

Edited August 30, 2020 by Trini

[Jenniferbug]

This sounds like Umbrella Academy to me. But probably way more bland since it's for the CW. 

[CabotCove]

Make sense,, Powerpuff Girls is a pretty recognizable IP, its likely to sell well in streaming and International.

And its good for CW to look beyond DCTV for their future, the franchise cant and wont last forever. 

 

Edited August 30, 2020 by CabotCove

[Trini]

2 hours ago, CabotCove said:

Make sense,, Powerpuff Girls is a pretty recognizable IP, its likely to sell well in streaming and International.

I get that. I just don't like that they're going to use the title but change the premise completely to fit their network template. (Like how that CBS Nancy Drew pilot was going to be yet another police procedural.)

Since this is going to get "CW-ed"; who wants to take bets on which PowerPuff has a sex scene in the pilot?  😒

[CabotCove]

Quote

I get that. I just don't like that they're going to use the title but change the premise completely to fit their network template.

By premise what do you mean? because they seem to  be keeping the basics.. " A trio of female characters gets superpowers and fight crime in Townsville". I mean is there really much more to it than that?

Well, with the  characters being  made adults and not kids, of course there will be adult themes/content in the CW version, no way they can have the same kind of  fluffy show as the OG,  Doesn't mean it cant be a light-hearted, colorful, fun, action show in tone.  But of course, I dont know if, thats what they are planning. 

 

 

Edited August 31, 2020 by CabotCove

[AnimeMania]

It is not that hard, give them the right hair and dress color and make one sweet, one smart and one tough and give all of them the ability to fly and have superpowers and live in Townsville.

[Trini]

- Not news about the pilot - but ComicBook.com got some comments from Genndy Tartakovski, who was a producer on the original animated series:

Quote

"The lines between live action and animation are so blurred," Tartakovski tells ComicBook.com. "I think anything could work. I mean, Dexter['s Laboratory] can work, and Samurai [Jack] can work, and Primal could even work if you have a cool CG. I mean, if you take something of quality, Jurassic Park, animated T-Rex, and you have a big burly caveman with her, it can be super cool. It's super expensive, the jungle has everything, to make it look and feel right. You give The Revenant feel and tone to Jurassic Park, and all of a sudden now you got something crazy. So, I think everything can cross over, But does it need to? Does it want to? Is it deserving?"

For Tartakovski, that is what it comes down to - will the story and characters still work and is it needed?

"The thing is, there's gotta be a reason for it to be an animation or live action," he explains. "And so, I imagine everything as drawings, because I'm such an animation enthusiastic. And so, that's kinda how it exists. And I have to work my way into live action and kind of picture it live and see where it goes."

Specifically to the Powerpuff Girls show coming to the CW in live-action, "I guess we'll see," he says. "It's certainly interesting."

"I didn't create it, but obviously I worked on it a lot," he says."When you try to do a certain thing and then you're successful at it, and then somebody else takes it, and now is gonna make it a different thing, is that good? Is it bad? I mean, they made an anime from Powerpuff Girls. And then it was like straight anime, it's like, 'Oh yeah, it lost a lot of some of the charm that I thought we had in the American version.' But it was good in a different way too. So, that's the thing. It's always, 'Who's gonna do it? Is it gonna be sincere? Is there a purpose for it besides just, 'Oh, people know Powerpuff Girls, so let's do it.'

 

[Trini]

Now a pilot has been ordered; no additional info.

[Trini]

From industry website Backstage: https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/powerpuff-girls-diablo-cody-reboot-casting-72666/

Quote

... The pilot has started to cast the leading trio with the help of Rapaport/Baldasare Casting, though no actors have been announced yet. Production on the potential series is expected to start in Atlanta in April.

 

[tv echo]

Someone's audition videos for the role of Blossom were posted on Vimeo (warning: audition sides' dialogue is possbily spoilery)...

Leigha Sinnott- THE POWERPUFF GIRLS Blossom 1
Posted by Benjamin Gaynor on February 18, 2021

Leigha Sinnott- THE POWERPUFF GIRLS Blossom 2
Posted by Benjamin Gaynor on February 18, 2021

And here's someone's audition video for the role of either Bubbles or Buttercup (I'm not sure which - the page says Bubbles, but the off-screen reader calls her Buttercup)...

Scene 4 tk 1
Posted by Veronica Dunne on February 17, 2021

 

Edited February 19, 2021 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Two audition videos for the role of Buttercup...

Kayci Lacob_PPG_Buttercup_.m4v
Posted by Kayci Lacob on Feb. 22, 2021

The Powerpuff Girls- Jaime Rosenstein
Posted by Jamie Rosenstein on Feb. 22, 2021

 

Edited February 22, 2021 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Audition videos for the role of Bubbles...

Hadar Busia-Singleton - THE POWERPUFF GIRLS - “Bubbles” - Scene 1
Posted by Alex Burditt on Feb. 25, 2021

Hadar Busia-Singleton - THE POWERPUFF GIRLS - “Bubbles” - Scene 2
Posted by Alex Burditt on Feb. 25, 2021

Hadar Busia-Singleton - THE POWERPUFF GIRLS - “Bubbles” - Scene 3
Posted by Alex Burditt on Feb. 25, 2021

Hadar Busia-Singleton - THE POWERPUFF GIRLS - “Bubbles” - Scene 4
Posted by Alex Burditt on Feb. 25, 2021

And here's an audition video for the role of "Jojo"...

Powerpuff Girls Scene 3
Posted by Harry Jarvis on Feb. 25, 2021

 

Edited February 27, 2021 by tv echo

[Trini]

Maggie Kiley to Direct the Pilot

 

[paulvdb]

‘The Powerpuff Girls’: Chloe Bennet, Dove Cameron & Yana Perrault To Headline CW’s Live-Action Reboot Pilot
 

Quote

 

Bennet will portray Blossom Utonium. Though she was a spunky, conscientious, Little-Miss-Perfect child who holds several advanced degrees, Blossom’s repressed kiddie-superhero trauma has left her feeling anxious and reclusive, and she aims to become a leader again — this time on her own terms.

Cameron will play Bubbles Utonium. Bubbles’ sweet-girl disposition won America’s hearts as a child. She still sparkles as an adult, but her charming exterior belies an unexpected toughness and wit. She’s initially more interested inrecapturing her fame than saving the world, but she just might surprise us and herself.

Perrault is Buttercup Utonium. Buttercup was the rebellious badass of The Powerpuff Girls in its heyday. More sensitive than her tough exterior suggests, Buttercup has spent her adulthood trying to shed her Powerpuff Girl identity and live an anonymous life.

 

 

[AimingforYoko]

Dammit, I was all set to ignore this. Chloe Bennett means I will at least watch the pilot.

[Vermicious Knid]

Will they have giant CGI eyes like Battle Angel Alita? It won't be PPG if they don't have giant eyes.

[Humbugged]

 

[BetterButter]

Donald Faison to play Professor Utonium on The CW's gritty Powerpuff Girls series

[Trini]

44 minutes ago, BetterButter said:

Donald Faison to play Professor Utonium on The CW's gritty Powerpuff Girls series

Quote

Described as quirky, debonair and a pinch narcissistic, Faison’s Professor Drake is a scientific genius who is immensely proud of the three extraordinary girls he created in his lab. Staring down a midlife crisis, he is determined to repair his relationships with his now-adult daughters.

Didn't expect them to racebend the Professor, but that's fine. He's technically old enough to be a father to some 'twenty-somethings', but it's still a little hard for me to picture.

[Trini]

In addition to the casting of Prof. Utonium the news articles are saying that the title for this now is just "Powerpuff" -- which is not surprising, but I feel it doesn't really say much if one isn't already familiar with the cartoon.

[AnimeMania]

I hope this is a comedy, since most Superhero shows are taking themselves way to seriously these days. If your powers and abilities are going to be wildly inconsistent from show to show, at least make me laugh.

[tv echo]

Looks like they've changed the title of this series to Powerpuff...
https://tvline.com/2021/03/30/powerpuff-girls-pilot-donald-faison-cast-professor-drake-utonium/

Quote

Now known simply as Powerpuff, the prospective series has cast onetime Scrubs doc Donald Faison as Professor Drake Utonium, TVLine has learned.

 

Edited March 31, 2021 by tv echo

[Trini]

https://tvline.com/2021/04/01/powerpuff-girls-cw-cast-mojo-jojo-son-nicholas-podany/

Quote

Nicholas Podany (Hart of Dixie) will play Joseph “Jojo” Mondel Jr., presumably the son of the animated series’ iconic baddie Mojo Jojo, our sister publication Variety reports.

As a “nerdy, power-hungry, insecure” kid, Jojo was apparently obsessed with Townsville’s pint-sized superheroes, despite his father being their sworn enemy. Now that he’s older, Jojo “finds his sweetness and rage in constant battle.”

The article does not answer the question about whether he is a monkey ... or half monkey.

[Primal Slayer]

Return to sender! If you cant make Mojo into a lifesize talking monkey then you cant adapt Powerpuff Girls.

[AnimeMania]

11 hours ago, Primal Slayer said:

Return to sender! If you cant make Mojo into a lifesize talking monkey then you cant adapt Powerpuff Girls.

Mojo Jojo would be pretty old by now, probably in a floating wheelchair. I am not sure how his son is so old, Jojo must have had his son before he met the Powerpuffs.

[BetterButter]

 

[AnimeMania]

14 hours ago, BetterButter said:

 

Those outfits should make the flying scenes quite exciting.

[paulvdb]

‘Powerpuff’: Robyn Lively To Play Sara Bellum; Tom Kenny To Reprise Role As Narrator In CW’s Live-Action Reboot Pilot

[Vermicious Knid]

Will we actually be seeing Miss Bellum's face? And does this mean The Mayor will appear?

[paulvdb]

‘Powerpuff’: The CW Reveals First Look At Chloe Bennet, Dove Cameron & Yana Perrault As Crime-Fighting Trio

[tv echo]

Here's TVLine's article (same pic as above)...

The Powerpuff Girls Are All Grown Up in First Look at CW's Live-Action Pilot
By Matt Webb Mitovich / April 12 2021
https://tvline.com/2021/04/12/powerpuff-girls-first-look-cw-pilot/

Quote

Though unofficial, BTS photos have circulated on social media, showing the titular trio in their expected “uniforms,” those looks appear only in flashbacks to their teenage years. The cast photo, shown in full below, captures their grown-up selves, which are the focus of the pilot.

As previously announced, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s Chloe Bennett plays Blossom Utonium, a spunky, conscientious Little-Miss-Perfect whose repressed kiddie-superhero trauma has left her feeling anxious and reclusive. That said, she aims to become a leader again — though this time on her own terms.

Descendants‘ Dove Cameron plays Bubbles Utonium, whose sweet-girl disposition “won America’s hearts” when she was a child. And while she still sparkles as an adult, Bubbles’ charming exterior belies an unexpected toughness and wit. She now is initially more interested in recapturing her fame than saving the world, but she just might surprise us and herself.

Lastly, Broadway actress Yana Perrault plays Buttercup Utonium, the “rebellious badass” of The Powerpuff Girls back in their heyday — though she is more sensitive than her tough exterior suggests. Buttercup has spent her adulthood trying to shed her Powerpuff Girl identity, and live an anonymous life.

Edited April 14, 2021 by tv echo

[AnimeMania]

Powerpuff Casts Robyn Lively as Miss Bellum, With Tom Kenny Returning to Narrate The CW's Live-Action Pilot

They couldn't find an actress who didn't have a head.

What’s All the Fuss with Powerpuff ?: A Look at The CW’s Upcoming Live Action Powerpuff Girls Show

Tons of pictures from the TV set.

Picture of the Professor Utonium house.

This account has tons of pictures from the set.

https://twitter.com/jukesdreambox

[Trini]

From Deadline's commentary:

Quote

The CW already gave a straight-to-series order to one of its scripts from this season, The 4400, a reboot of the 2004 USA Network series. That leaves three traditional pilots in contention for a series order, all from A-list auspices, Diablo Cody and Berlanti Prods.’ Powerpuff; Ava DuVernay’s DC-themed Naomi; and millennial nun dramedy Our Ladies Of Brooklyn from Jennie Snyder Urman.

All three pilots have been cast and are in various stages of production but none has been delivered yet. With its big pop culture profile, Powerpuff has a leg up, as evidenced by the big social media reaction to all cast announcements and first-look images. Both Powerpuff and Naomi have leads that are creating buzz internally (and beyond) and both have strong underlying IP while the concept for Our Ladies is out there, but so was the premise of Urman’s hit for the network, Jane the Virgin. And while Powerpuff does have a slight edge based on its beloved IP pedigree and recognizable cast, all three pilots are solid contenders and could potentially get picked up. It will come down to execution.

 

[TheView]

I think this one will go through 

[Jenniferbug]

I'll be surprised if this one doesn't get picked up. 

Off topic, is there a thread for The 4400 reboot? I loved the first couple of seasons of that show and would watch a reboot. 

[TheView]

 

On 5/13/2021 at 5:03 PM, Jenniferbug said:

I'll be surprised if this one doesn't get picked up. 

Off topic, is there a thread for The 4400 reboot? I loved the first couple of seasons of that show and would watch a reboot. 

This show has CW written all over 

[SVNBob]

On 5/16/2021 at 8:04 PM, TheView said:

 

This show has CW written all over 

Not just CW, CW's DCEU.

I checked, and DC printed Powerpuff Girls comic books back in the day, so technically the Girls are part of the same extended universe as Superman et al.

Not to mention the Cartoon Network-created crossover promo where the Girls rescued the Superfriends versions of Wonder Woman and Aquaman from the Legion of Doom.

 

[paulvdb]

‘Powerpuff’ To Be Repiloted

Quote

Powerpuff, based on the original Cartoon Network animated series, will be reworked and repiloted off-cycle. The four leads — Chloe Bennet, Dove Cameron, Yana Perrault and Donald Faison — as well as other cast and the writers-producers all remain on board the project, from Warner Bros TV/Berlanti Prods.

 

[AimingforYoko]

38 minutes ago, paulvdb said:

‘Powerpuff’ To Be Repiloted

 

That they're keeping everyone in place tells me they think the script sucks and are giving them another go at it. This isn't promising.

[TheView]

1 hour ago, AimingforYoko said:

That they're keeping everyone in place tells me they think the script sucks and are giving them another go at it. This isn't promising.

I think they just like the group they have, so why replace them? 

[AimingforYoko]

13 minutes ago, TheView said:

I think they just like the group they have, so why replace them? 

Yeah, that's what I mean. The only reason you reject a pilot but keep everyone in place is that you have a bad story.

[TheView]

1 hour ago, AimingforYoko said:

Yeah, that's what I mean. The only reason you reject a pilot but keep everyone in place is that you have a bad story.

Maybe they want to go into the premise even further. 

[Morrigan2575]

I saw the leaked script...well a few pages leaked. Holy crap, no wonder the scrapped it.

[Trini]

A few more comments on the pilot here: 'CW Boss: Powerpuff Pilot Came In 'Too Campy,' Will Go Back to Drawing Board'

[Trini]

'Chloe Bennet Exits CW Live-Action Reboot Pilot'

This doesn't necessarily doom the show, but I'm sure it doesn't help.

[AimingforYoko]

1 hour ago, Trini said:

This doesn't necessarily doom the show

It does for me.

[TheView]

As long as nobody else leaves, I'm happy 

[Featherhat]

Allegedly, very allegedly CB walked because this wasn't the pilot she was promised when she signed on. I can see why she didn't want to wait around another year to see if they could retool it a bit. The CW has done that with several shows that never ended up seeing the light of day, although they did change a lot of the casts in that case. 

Having read the leaked script (which apparently was also changed a lot) I can't say I would have much interest in this show. I hate it when the "dark, gritty" blah blah blah reboot trashes the original to score points they haven't actually earned yet, especially when they're destroying all the positive relationships and storylines in the process. The rest of it made Riverdale seem well written.