The CW has handed out a straight-to-series order for a reimagining of the USA Network cult sci-fi drama “The 4400,” and a pilot order for a live-action sequel series to the celebrated cartoon “The Powerpuff Girls”.
“The 4400” hails from “Riverdale” co-executive producer Ariana Jackson and Anna Fricke, the pair who also spearheaded the recent “Walker” reboot for the network. It has been in development at The CW for some time, going through multiple cycles with different writers, but now finally can shine.
Like the original, the series sees individuals who have mysteriously vanished over the many years of the 20th century suddenly all returned in an instant having not aged a day and with no memory of what happened to them.
As the government races to analyze the potential threat, those who returned must grapple with the emerging powers they’ve been returned with and the increasing likelihood that they were all brought back for a specific reason.
CBS Studios, who backed the original series in 2004 which launched the career of Oscar winner Mahershala Ali and also starred the likes of Patrick Flueger and Jacqueline McKenzie, is backing the new version.
“The Powerpuff Girls” is being developed by writers and executive producers Heather Regnier (“iZombie”) and Diablo Cody (“Jennifer’s Body”) and serves as a ‘years later’ sequel to the original Craig McCracken-created 1998 Cartoon Network series.
The titular trio is now disillusioned twentysomethings who resent having spent their entire childhood fighting crime and struggling to reunite as the world needs them more than ever.
Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and David Madden will executive produce for Warner Bros. Television.
Two other green lights were also handed out – a millennial nun dramedy from Jennie Snyder Urman, Claire Rothrock & Ryann Weir, and the previously reported on DC Comics adaptation “Naomi” from Ava DuVernay and Jill Blankenship.
All four projects have all-female creative teams.