The CW is bringing a surprising new twist to its lineup with a live action take onCartoon Network’s turn of the century darling,The Powerpuff Girls. Greg Berlanti, the executive superhero wrangler in charge of the network’s various comic book-styled shows, will serve as executive producer, as is tradition.
Alongside Berlanti, the show will be written by Diablo Cody, known for her work on films likeJunoandJennifer’s Body, and Heather Regnier, who worked on the 2019 4th season ofVeronica Mars. Both writers have also been brought on as executive producers to be joined by Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and David Madden of Berlanti Productions. There is currently no word on whether the original show’s creator Craig McCracken will be involved.
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Presumably after someone made a wish to a cursed monkey’s paw for a fresh new superhero show idea, the series will feature the three main leads as jaded young adults whose crime fighting days are supposedly behind them. Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, who previously battled villains all over the city of Townsville as a kindergarten-aged hero team, must now decide whether to join forces once again when the world needs them.
Airing from 1998 to 2005,The Powerpuff Girlscentered on the three previously mentioned heroes, who were created in a lab by Professor Utonium. The Professor aimed to create “the perfect little girl” as his daughter, but after accidentally mixing in a mysterious ingredient called “Chemical X,” the three Powerpuff Girls were born. The premise is as absurd as the show is wacky, and it all came together well enough to gain a devoted following. The show was a prime example ofthose types of cartoonsthat feature plenty of extra jokes for any adults watching, which likely contributed to its popularity.
Hearing thatThe Powerpuff Girlsis getting another adaptation may elicit some cautious feelings from fans, as a previous attempt to revive the series in 2016 received generally mixed reactions. But depending on how the subject matter is tackled by the admittedly talented crew, it could surprise audiences. Perhaps aRiverdale-style take on the source material is in the cards, which took the famously campy characters from theArchiecomics and created a serious and largely well-received teen drama around it. The success ofStargirl,which was recently renewed for a second season, might alleviate some concerns as well, since Berlanti also works on that show.
Whether or not the show turns out to be a hit or a flop, it’ll likely be a while before fans see anything of substance. So hopefully a long development period will give any ideas the writers and producers come up with some time to stew before being committed to film. With so many projects these daysusing nostalgiaas their main driving force, it’s easy to get caught up in the past rather than working to adapt the material for modern viewers.
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