A reboot of the iconic animated series The Powerpuff Girls is in the works.
Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, a flagship animation studio for WarnerMedia based in London, announced on Monday that it has started developing reboots for The Powerpuff Girls and for the equally beloved animated series Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends.
Fans of both animated series have nothing to worry about, as both reboots are sure to keep the essence of the originals, because Craig McCracken, the creator of the two shows, is attached to develop them. The reboots mark McCracken’s return to the studio. The Emmy Award-winning creator, producer, and director, first began his career at Hanna-Barbera Cartoons 30 years ago in 1992.
“The Hanna-Barbera homecoming of Craig was an opportunity we could not pass up,” said Sam Register, President of Cartoon Network Studios, Warner Bros. Animation, and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, in a press release announcing the reboots. “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.”
Sarah Fell, Vice President of Original Kids and Family Animation at Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, will oversee the development of both reboots.
The Powerpuff Girls reboot
The Powerpuff Girls reboot revisits and expands upon the world of the original series as young superheroes Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup solve daily missions and face off against a gallery of villains comprised of familiar foes and new threats.
The original series ran for six seasons from 1998 to 2005 on the cable channel Cartoon Network. Throughout its 78-episode run, the show won two Primetime Emmys and two Annie Awards.
The upcoming Powerpuff Girls reboot isn’t the first reboot of the original series. Nick Jennings and Bob Boyle previously developed a reboot of the original show for Cartoon Network, which ran for three seasons (119 episodes in total) from 2016 to 2019. Though executives at Cartoon Network had considered bringing McCracken back to do the said reboot, he ultimately didn’t end up working on it because his contract with Disney Television Animation at the time prevented him from doing so.
The original Powerpuff Girls series also spawned an animated movie. Released in 2002, The Powerpuff Girls Movie serves as a prequel to the series and tells the story of how the Powerpuff Girls were created, and how Mojo Jojo became a supervillain.
There has also been an anime adaptation of the original series. Titled Powerpuff Girls Z, the Japanese series was co-produced by Cartoon Network Japan and Aniplex and was animated by Toei Animation. It originally aired on TXN (TV Tokyo) and AT-X from 2006 to 2007.
A live-action adaptation of the original series is also in development at The CW.
Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends reboot
While the upcoming Powerpuff Girls reboot will still feature the original main characters, the reboot of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends will look a bit different from the original series.
According to the reboot announcement, the new series welcomes “a new cast of preschool-aged imaginary friends. But don’t let their young age fool you, this new lot is just as silly and playful as the original bunch.”
The original series ran for six seasons on Cartoon Network from 2004 to 2009. During its 79-episode run, the show won six Emmy Awards and has since been acknowledged by Entertainment Weekly as one of the best shows that aired on Cartoon Network.
When will these reboots come out?
Both reboots don’t have release dates yet, as it appears that both projects are still in the very early days of development.
Where will these reboots air?
There’s no word yet whether these reboots will air on Cartoon Network or will only be available for streaming on HBO Max. More info on the release of both shows is expected to be announced at a later date.