Warner Bros. exploring new ‘Powerpuff Girls’ movie

Townsville’s superhero trio could be flying back into cinemas, as a new “Powerpuff Girls" movie is reportedly in early development at Warner Bros. Pictures Animation.

Warner Bros. is said to be exploring a new animated film based on the classic Cartoon Network series. According to Variety, the project was briefly showcased in the studio’s presentation reel on Monday, June 22 at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France. 

Deadline also reported that Warner Bros. is still in talks to secure the rights, meaning there’s no official deal or greenlight yet—but development is actively being discussed.

.There are no casting reports yet for Blossom, Bubbles, or Buttercup, the iconic trio at the heart of the series.

The original was created by American cartoonist and animator Craig McCracken in 1992 and officially premiered on Cartoon Network in 1998. 

It follows three young girls with superpowers who are created by Professor Utonium after he accidentally adds "Chemical X” to a mix of “sugar, spice, and everything nice,” intended to make the perfect little girl. The trio goes on to protect the city of Townsville from villains like Mojo Jojo. 

The series ran until 2005 and became a global hit for ’90s and 2000s animation fans.

If it moves forward, the new film would mark the franchise’s first potential big-screen return since 2002’s “The Powerpuff Girls Movie", which was only the second theatrical adaptation of the original series. The film earned around $16 million worldwide on an $11 million budget.

The news also follows a previously planned live-action "Powerpuff Girls" series, which was ultimately canceled in 2023. That version originally planned to feature older versions of the characters played by Chloe Bennet as Blossom, Dove Cameron as Bubbles, and Yana Perrault as Buttercup. 

After a pilot reshoot in 2021 and Bennet’s departure from the project, the series eventually did not progress further.